OM for the Holidays -
Posers
We may have heard sayings like "too blessed to be stressed" or "let go of traditions that leave you broke, overwhelmed & tired."
What is summoned for you when you hear these things?
Let me pose the question...what kind of poser are you?
I think about "pose" and many different meanings come to mind - the literal physical shaping of our bodies into a particular position, as well as to copy, and also to "fake it til we make it". Literally, "pose" has been described as "to set forth or offer for attention or consideration", to "present" or to "set in place", to "assume an attitude or posture for artistic purposes", and to "puzzle" or "baffle".
Beyond the asana, how do we take our practice with us in our daily lives?
Around the holidays, especially, do we find ways to share our light or to dim it? Do we maintain our mindfulness or do we wrap it up and put a bow on it, waiting for a moment to unpackage and perhaps even glorify it? Or, perhaps, do we feel like we've lost it somewhere between to-do lists and price gouging and keeping our families happy?
Some may even say that their mindfulness simply hibernates. Do we slip back into our comfortable traditions that may not serve us any longer? Do we forgive ourselves when we do? Do we acknowledge our sense of discernment? Of service? Of hospitality?
How do we bring our practice into this season? How do you go OM for the holidays?
It takes practice to have faith. No matter what your religion, the context of faith is of a living tradition and a culture, shared beyond our time on Earth.
Maya Angelou said, "We can only
try
to be Christian". The book
Practicing our Faith
defines Christian practices "as things Christian people have done together over time to address fundamental human needs in the light of and in response to God's grace in Jesus Christ."
From Gratefulness.org, "s
ometimes simply affirming how intimate we already are with various forms of mystery can liberate us from the feelings of fear and needing to control life…"
In the book,
The Logic of Faith
, there is a Buddhist quality that "faith is a thorny subject these days. Its negative expressions cause many to dismiss it out of hand...for faith is really nothing but our natural proclivity to find certainty in a world where certainty is hard to come by...a truth beyond the limits of 'is' and 'is not', to open ourselves to the whole wonderful range of human experience."
What is the nature of "posing" for you this holiday season? Maybe you've seen the "reverse" Advent calendar, or you already plan on volunteering for Bounty of Bethlehem, or you would like to host a family in need. Perhaps you are there for someone who is questioning their faith, or you are leading by example in your service, or you are recognizing the impact you have on someone in your life you are caring for, and/or are tending to your body as your temple. You are doing your best to be impeccable with your word and not taking things personally?
Let's pose, and pause, together as 2018 comes to a close in clause...whether our rituals and celebrations are same or different,
the spirit in me salutes the spirit in you.
OM, om, OM
Yours in Faith,
Heather
