Friday, Feb. 10: Being Awake as its own Reward

FEAR OF THE NEW
One of the great frustrations in my life is offering amazing classes that almost no one comes to. This is great for my Byron Katie work. I get to dive in and work with the thoughts that “Everyone should try Feldenkrais.” Or, “People should be taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity.”

Is it true? Not yet.

When should they be taking advantage? When they do.

Is their something wrong with people for not having time, or interest in trying something new? No.

Whose business is it if they are open to trying this amazing path to inner awareness? Theirs.

And still: I’d love to have hundreds of people taking advantage of these lessons that allow not only the body to feel wonderful and learn to move with ease and grace, but for the brain to learn to solve problems in a new and gentle way. Perhaps my brain needs to learn how to solve the problem of getting people to come to Feldenkrais classes. If they only knew how much change and growth could happen from going slow and paying attention.

But they want loud music and hoping up and down. Or they want to be in a rush of activities that distract themselves from really paying attention. Or they are doing something, yoga, horseback riding, Pilates, and that is so much more than a sedentary life, they can’t really imagine improving these aspects of their life. Improving them hugely by a deepened sense of awareness and exploration.

So what am I to do?

Keep offering what I offer. Stay happy. Be awake while I ask other people to join me in waking up. This is huge, this idea of waking up to every moment. The whole world is structured to keep us to sleep. My job: not to fall asleep with stories about how and when others should “wake up.” Waking myself, now, and now, and now, joyfully: that’s my job. When and if others join me: that’s their business.

This is the great work: to wake up. To connect with nature. To be awake when it’s fun and easy: walking on a beautiful day. To be awake when it’s hard: when I open my mouth and invite people to join me in this work. If I give a hoot, if I can’t love them no matter what they say, I haven’t finished my work.

Life is so fair and amazing that way.