Follow Your Bliss
Published: Thu, 04/28/22
One of the most fundamental techniques taught in a basic martial arts class is how to break a builder's plank with your hand.
The idea is that if you are focused on the plank itself, you are going to hurt your hand and most likely fail in breaking the plank. However, if you focus six inches below the plank, where your hand is supposed to end up after successfully breaking the plank, then your hand will not hurt and you will have broken the plank.
If the above example seems too obscure, visualize the following but please do not try it for real!
You have a coffee table in front of you. Now imagine that you are about to hit the tabletop in such a way that your hand will go through it and end up on the other side of it, i.e. below the tabletop. Can you see how this actually requires a lot more effort on your part, than if you were just focusing on only breaking the tabletop?
What this mechanical task illustrates is the tremendous power of the proper focus.
What do we mean by proper focus?
Had someone asked you to break the builder's plank, your immediate focus at first glance might have been the plank, instead of the ultimate end result, the six inch hand location below the plank.
According to Ayurveda, more often than not, we focus on the immediate task, instead of the ultimate task. As a result, we do not exert the necessary amount of effort needed and this is why we end up failing in achieving the desired outcome.
The immediate task is almost always misleading. Most of the time, we need to be looking through the immediate goal. There is a famous quote of unknown origin, that says "sometimes the only way out is through", also phrased as “the way out is the way in”. Some attribute this quote to 12th century Dante's Inferno which of course reminds me of the great country song -- If you're goin' through hell keep on going!
(I told you I can bring country music into everything. :) )
Back to our task at hand...
What does all of this mean to you?
Your ultimate goal according to Ayurveda is not just about what makes you happy. It is about what makes you content, it is about your bliss. Yes, our ultimate goal in life (whether we're aware of it or not) is finding our bliss, that deep sense of contentment (aka Ānanda in Sanskrit).
Think of what makes us happy as focusing on breaking the building plank. It is misleading. It takes us away from the ultimate goal, the six inch below, which is our bliss.
Most of us have never even considered what our bliss looks like. We are too busy thinking about how to break the plank.
Not to worry! The planets are coming to our rescue yet again!
This weekend is a great opportunity to pause and meditate on our deep sense of contentment, on what our ultimate goal is.
Astrologically, our ultimate goal in life is associated with the North Lunar Node. The North Lunar Node is currently in Taurus. Taurus is also where this Saturday's Solar Eclipse is happening, along with the New Moon and Tim's favorite planet, none other than Uranus himself (opportunity for change). :-)
Statistically, Solar Eclipses highly amplify the New Moon's positive energy of renewal and rebirth! So whatever greatness this New Moon is about to bring, we will experience it manifold.
To make things even better, Taurus is governed by Venus, the goddess of love, gratitude, compassion and creativity. Venus will be in Pisces (which makes her really happy), exactly conjunct Jupiter (the celestial amplifier) and really close to Neptune (our dreams). And as if things could not get any better, Mars (action) is also in Pisces!
Can you see how the celestial powers are really cheering you on?
By the way, no furniture was damaged in the writing of this message. :-)
Until next time... Much much love from both of us!
Na’maste Kala! (Which in Greek means, may we all be well!)
-Tim and Vie | Ayurveda Outlaws