It seems like ages ago that I crammed my brain full of neurology, muscle physiology, pathology, and other formidable ‘ologies’ at RMT College. Some of it I use almost daily in my practice, others, I have to look up and review from time to time. All this information has changed me to a degree, I suppose. But not in essence. And really, there is yet so much to learn. I’ve skimmed only the vapor off the caldron of knowledge. In the end, I realize there are just a few things I know for sure. Like this:
I know that gratitude is a portal to the soul. The gratitude we feel for external circumstances is one kind that we can cultivate. There is always more than one way to view our circumstances, and there is almost always something to be grateful for. To live well, this is an important skill. Another more powerful form of gratitude is one that wells up from our being spontaneously, regardless of circumstance. This sense is an innate part of our being. We experience it when we are still. In order to maintain this core of awareness, a practice of some sort is required. Daily, we must take time to be still. Present. Abide in sensory perception rather than thought perception. When we dwell int this space, the first kind of gratitude flows into our hearts effortlessly.
So many have supported me on this adventure called Life like a great wind that carries me across the sky. My mom and dad. My beautiful daughter. My sweet yoga students. Random strangers and acquaintances who brought a smile to my heart. Puck the poodle who is always up for fun and is never afraid to be ridiculous. My dear friends who filled my life with belly aching laughter and shared the warm sun and cool water on our bodies. Thank you.
And did you get what
you wanted from this life even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.
Raymond Carver
