dwelling in the past

How much of our time and energy is spent dwelling in the past? Ruminating and lamenting over choices that didn't work out or idealizing a time in our life where it all seemed rosy. One way to get beyond the past is to realize it truly is behind us. We are now able to be free and move on. Moving on can mean setting our sights on new ways of being. New choices that suit our current framework. Instead of judging our past as either good or bad, right or wrong it is far better to take the warrior approach.

The warrior path says that all life is a spiritual encounter. Everyone we meet and every action we take is there for us to learn, to be challenged and to grow. Personal growth is not always something we realize is happening until a great deal of time has passed. A warrior wakes up each day being grounded in the wisdom that humans all over the world are always in a state of flux. Like the great mythical "Garuda" referred to in Hindu lore as the bird that never lands, neither do we ever really land for too long at any one point. A warrior stays adept in that knowledge and moves through life ready and open.

There is a wonderful quote from "Dogen" that eloquently sums up this way of being.

When you ride in a boat and watch the shore, you might assume that the shore is moving. But when you keep your eyes closely on the boat, you can see that the boat moves. Similarly, if you examine many things with a confused mind, you might suppose that your mind and nature are permanent. But when you practice intimately and return to where you are, it will be clear that there is nothing that has unchanging self.

Peace,

Yoga Jane