New Meditation of the Month is HERE
It’s been quite a week.
It was my birthday.
And I also got gut-punched.
(Emotionally, not literally––although the physical experience felt pretty much the same.)
I was forced to grieve several significant losses.
Simultaneously, major new opportunities opened up.
(I may be delusional, but it all felt very connected.)
And although I really HATE when other people talk like this––the “Universe”––did give me a sign.
More accurately, four signs.
On my birthday, I played my favorite spiritual board game Transformation with two wonderful friends.
These are the “Final Steps” that people often skip:
• You draw an insight card.
• Then a potential setback.
• Then a 2nd insight card to combat that potential setback.
• Then a guardian angel for the future.
Here’s what happened:
There are 100 insight cards.
Therefore, the odds of drawing any one card is 1/100.
And….
(Even though I shuffled each time.)
My friend and I each drew the exact same insight card twice.
(I.E., we both “randomly” drew the same card four times.)
Because the events are not casually dependent, the odds against that happening are exactly 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100.
You might have to use a calculator to multiply it out but what that means is …drumroll…
The odds of that happening are literally 1 in 100 million.
Thus, despite my continuously cranky crackpot skepticism, I’m willing to take the unsubtle hint that there may be a message there I should heed.
Speaking of which…
I’ve often shared about my birthday dropback practice, my falling backward into a wheel and springing back up once for each year of my life.
I’ve done this for 15 years (with a Covid intermission).
I’ve written about it in some published essays and I’ve had four gallery shows and art events with visual work I’ve created around the practice.
I approached this year with very mixed feelings.
I was pretty prepared on the physical level but––unless you’re a 9-year-old gymnast––fear arises.
Think about it:
You’re choosing to fall backward.
Even if you know intellectually the ground is behind you, it’s still a brazenly daredevil thing to do.
In short, it’s basically a Trust Exercise with the Universe.
And it’s infinitely harder to do when you’ve been let down by some of the universe’s less trustworthy inhabitants.
Ultimately, it came down to a decision that––despite it all––I was willing to risk being open-hearted again.
And with some modifications––I did almost twice my age in wheels and completed more than enough perfect drop backs for the photo ops–– I did it.
And I’m incredibly glad I did.
I also learned a new phrase this week: Dog Latin.
It’s basically weaving modern terms into a dead language to create a faux-ancient vibe.
My favorite of these––something I shared last year with someone dear who was victimized by cancel culture––is
Illegitimi non carborundum
Or
Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
The phrase is not from ancient Sparta, but rather was created by British Army intelligence in World War II and became the motto of U.S. Army General “Vinegar” Joe Stilwell.
(Please Also Note: “Vinegar” is a truly excellent nickname.)
Anyway, the insight card my friend and I each drew four times said pretty much the same thing albeit in a New Age-y way.
And therefore, more sensitively phrased, it’s the theme of this month’s new meditation Stay The Course HERE.
Finally, here’s a weird trivia fact about my July 2nd birthday.
(Well, actually here’s two: the first is that I share it with Lindsay Lohan.)
The second is that it’s the exact midpoint of the year.
It’s a perfect time to reevaluate, and more importantly, shift course if necessary.
I took comfort in that as I stood on the sidewalk, ready to open my heart and fling myself backwards into the unknown.
Essentially, those two thoughts got me through:
There’s more ahead…and we just can’t let the bastards get us down.
Namaste for Now,
P.S. A few spaces are left in the intro yoga / wellness program HERE.
It starts on Saturday, July 10th.
Sign Up––or HMU––if you’re interested.
