‘I like men who have a future, and women who have a past’, Oscar proclaimed.
The truth is – as much as it may ruffle your moral integrity or put a smile on your face – of Oscar Wilde, it was true.
That’s the thing about Truth.
It arrests one’s attention for a moment.
Very similar to Yoga. A difficult asana (posture) challenges one to go within.
To ask important questions of the Self and to listen to the responses from the heart and body.
For a moment, one is stopped in the busy-ness of doing, and can have an Oscar Wilde moment:
- my heart is racing / why
- my hips are tight / why
- my head feels dizzy / why
Am I in alignment with my dreams, my highest purpose? Am I acting with integrity and truth?
Or am I just having another Groundhog Day of doing the same, being the same and expecting things to change?
If I am – then I must face the truth, that is crying out for my attention.
Churchill said
And there I was
Out of the blue – it’s always out of the blue , isn’t it? my knees started to act up in a rather basic yoga asana, called Janu Shirshasana.
As soon as I bent my knee, I literally cried out in pain.
Something was definitely off.
Now the logical, rational way, would be to have it checked out, so to speak. By a proper doctor, who would recommend a scan or Xray of some calibre – and of course, a procedure.
I Really Never Opt for the Logical Way
For I sensed, that I needed to wait.
My body was definitely alerting me to something far more vital than rationality.
And yes, I have become quite my own champion in listening to my body – through many years of trial and error! And yoga.
So I waited.
I listened.
I knew.
Facing One’s Truth is a Most Courageous Step
But acting on one’s truth is reaching the summit of Everest.
I was patient for 5 months – and then, hoorah! My knees could bend into Janu Shirshana and I could fold even deeper into the pose than before.
The truth was this:
- I was not stepping into my own authentic power
Always giving it away – despite all my sojourns into the depths of me – some part of me still clung to the belief that someone out there will stand up for me.
Most importantly – I knew this. I just didn’t want to accept it, let alone admit it. For am I not supposed to be all sorted out and riding on my magic yoga mat?
Evidently not yet, Mrs Robinson.
There is a Caveat Though
Listen to your body, to your heart, to the subtle signals you receive every nano-second of your precious day.
Don’t just opt for the well-trodden route. Listen. You WILL know whether the bravest thing to do is to wait, or to seek professional advice.
Intuitively I knew that had the pain persisted, or gotten worse – of course I would have it ‘checked out’ by a medical professional. And I trusted that too.
Maybe you think this is all alternative nonsense, and woo-woo. Think that by all means.
It is Kind of Hard to Argue Against the Truth
Because here I am, bent knees and all – standing in my authenticity – humbled by the wisdom of my body, yoga and my inherent inner knowing.
Something we all have. No one is excluded.
Just Remember
‘The Truth is rarely pure and never simple’ (Oscar Wilde).
The Unrepentant Wayfarer 