Daily rhythms
How do we change from what we are to who we know we can be? What do we need for metamorphosis?
A cocoon.
A pliable, supple body.
Stillness of mind.
And the will to wait.
What scale of time? The mind can change instantly; the body requires time, the will requires consistent energy, attention, empowerment. Depending on the change we envision, and the physical changes required, we can need days, years, for personal evolution; centuries for social revolution.
All changes take place on every scale; the journey of a lifetime can be seen in every day.
What are the daily moments of metamorphosis?
Sleeping to waking
From darkness to light at sunrise
And light to dark at sunset
How do we pull in the energy of natural change to uplift our own inner changes? We create a cocoon, stepping into an inner awareness of our connection to the earth’s motions, feeling time as a shift of energy far larger than clock time can show.
What are the cocoons we can create? Daily practices that pause the whirlwind of mental movements, which are minute in scale, to allow the space for recalibrating our inner awareness to what is larger, the metamorphosis we have waiting within us.
These are the moments taught in yoga, the traditions missing from the on-demand scheduling we love for convenience. When we wake, that still point, is a magical moment to witness. Sunrise and sunset are the most auspicious times for practice.
Traditionally, yogis woke before dawn, bathed, then dove into meditative practices as the sun rose. The middle hours of the day were for working, eating, daily things; and again, at sunset, a time for meditative work. This is the rhythm and rhyme of my life.
Harnessing the pace of the day naturally shows us the magic in the mundane, and draws in the energy we need for true change, the kind that sinks below the surface. These cocoons, space-time away from regular workings to devote for the inner workings, require faith in self.
Faith is a difficult word to use; it brings to mind religion, and the conflict between scientific method and religious devotion. There should be no conflict. Daily practice requires faith and is method. It is a faith that is non-dogmatic, provisional, flexible, open to questions, responsive to reason, and adaptable to change.
Positive change is what we all desire. When we step into the cocoon of daily practices, we draw in the visible changes in light, reconnect with the rhythms of nature, but also flex our faith in self. If we only practice when we feel our worst, we unconsciously limit our best.
Step into the cocoon daily. Especially when you feel your best— that peak is the place from which to jump up, to elevate the height you know, reach for the change just beyond your fingertips.
In the cocoon, we remember that we are unbound.
