We
are finally concluding our study of the great Mahabharata. The last line of this
epic story is: "What shall we play next?" For the most part it is a serious tale: there
is family drama, war, kingdoms won and lost...but in the end it's just play for
the characters spinning out the tale, just another story in a universe of
stories.
The
Jewish holiday of Purim was this past weekend.
It is a very playful holiday that is born from another serious epic: as
the story goes, the Jewish people are about to be killed (what's new, right?) but
the interesting thing is how they are saved.
In most religious stories (including the Mahabharata) miracles occur as
acts of divine intervention. In this
story the “miracles” that happen are natural events that all line up to create
something miraculous. It is the acts of
people, not God, that bring salvation. In
the whole story God is not mentioned once - God is only hinted at. To signify this concealment, it is customary
to dress up in costume, appearing as something or someone else, while our true
selves remain hidden beneath the masquerade.
My
oldest son was very into the dressing up this year. He is the kind of kid that appears very
confident on the outside – he is successful in school and in sports, has lots
of friends - but down deep often feels self-conscious and uncomfortable in his
own skin. His costume this year included a mask and he was adamant about
wearing it even though I thought it might scare some of the younger children. He begged me: “But mom, then NO ONE will know
who I am!” I get that – there is a
freedom in anonymity, a letting go of our usual persona to try on a different
one. When we put on a costume we can
“play” at being someone else, and because it’s not really “us”, we can act out
our life in a way that isn’t necessarily within our comfort zone and there is
deep discovery and revelation in that kind of play. It also helps us take life a little less
seriously, something that I personally really need to work on, for a few
reasons – first, because we know it’s temporary. Second, it’s not really us so we can be more silly/wacky/wild/carefree etc. and
blame it on the costume if we need an out.
Last, and most important, it’s play for the sake of play because really,
if we're not enjoying our lives than what is the point? It’s hard to take
life too seriously when you are dressed as a hamentaschen (those little
triangle cookies filled with something sweet, which is what my middle son
dressed up as)!
And
speaking of hidden sweets, this is such a Tantric idea. The play of the universe is one of concealment
and revelation – the Divine conceals itself within us, as us, merely for the
joy of rediscovering Itself. Our bodies
are our original costumes, concealing our essence of sweetness, joy, and beauty
in bones and muscles and skin. This “costume”
is part of who we are but it’s not the whole story. One of the greatest reasons
for practicing yoga is to reconnect to and remember our true nature, the
unlimited ephemeral spirit that is hidden and concealed within the limits of
our physical bodies. The practice
reveals this to us through mindfulness and awareness, but also through
playfulness. Did you ever notice that so many of the poses we practice on our
mats are things we did naturally as children?
I see my kids break into spontaneous yoga poses all the time as part of
their natural play. When we cultivate
playfulness in our lives we are reminded that life is a celebration, and it is
easier to see the happiness and joy that is our true nature. We try on each yoga pose to explore different
aspects of our beings, and each pose gives us a new perspective physically as
we arrange body parts to create the outer form, mentally as we face challenges
like balancing on feet or hands, emotionally as feelings are released by the
energy moving through us, and spiritually as we connect to something greater
than ourselves, whether it is community or divinity.
Purim
is about play. You are obligated have a
festive meal, get drunk (I’m not kidding), bring gifts to friends, and gather
together to hear the story, which is marked with raucous cat calls when the
“bad” guy’s name is mentioned. It is a
celebration of earthly pleasures, honoring the physical aspects of
ourselves. But we do it in costume,
reminding ourselves that the physical is not all there is, that there is
something bigger, something deeper, something richer than just skin and muscle
and bone that is hidden, but is the essence of who we are. And when we remember that, the party really
begins.
Michelangelo
said, “Every block of stone has a statue hidden inside of it. It is up to the artist to chisel away to
reveal it.” This is what our yoga
practice does – chisels away through the stony armor of our daily lives and
stresses, the injuries and discomforts of our bodies, the drama of our stories,
the hamster wheel churning of our minds and reveals to us the potential and the
beauty of who we really are. We remember that every concealment is just the
opportunity for revelation later. Like
when it’s 19 degrees during the first official week of spring…it makes that 60
degree day that is coming so much sweeter.
Off
the Mat:
Michelangelo also said “I saw
the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”. Embrace playfulness this week. What would set your inner angel free? Play
dress up with your children or grandchildren, wear your hair a different way,
learn a joke (clean or dirty, your choice!) and tell it to everyone you meet,
do cartwheels, draw or color a picture, gather some friends for some good old
junk food and play a round of Cranuim (my family’s favorite game) or
Balderdash, play hooky from work and stay in your pajamas all day, etc. etc.
On
the mat:
We
worked on lots of playful poses in class this week – rolling side to side and
into Setu Bandhasana from Dhanurasana, wild thing (which became a pose
since so many people fall out of Vasisthasana - side plank!), jumping into Ardha
Chandrasana, hopping with 2 feet into Handstand. You’ve got to have a sense of humor to try
any of these so give it a go – safely
please! – and be prepared to laugh!
Open
to Grace: Breathe in and expand your capacity for play, for joy for the sake of
joy
Set
your feet/hands with the intention to establish your foundation in fun.
Breathe
in and connect to the masterpiece concealed in the stony exterior of your body.
Muscular
Energy: Hug to the midline to connect with your true self, concealed within the
costume of your skin.
Hug
the midline to remember the divinity concealed within your earthy body.
Hug
the midline to connect to your inner child who is playful, free spirited, and
celebratory.
Inner
Spiral: Widen your sit-bones to make
room for play in your life.
Move
your inner thighs back and apart to make space for lightheartedness and levity.
Outer
Spiral: Lengthen your tailbone and align with your true nature of happiness.
Organic
Energy: Spread your toes to expand your capacity for silliness.
From
the core of your pelvis extend through your feet to move out of your serious
comfort zone.
Shine
out your capacity for playfulness, cheerfulness, and buoyancy.
Let
your divinity shine through the costume of your skin.
