Couple of the months ago, I installed Korean-font in my computer. I haven’t written anything in Korean for many, many years. The last time, when I used Korean-key board, was with a type writer not a computer. That tells you, how long I have been off from it. Nevertheless, nervous in the beginning…but surprisingly, after few days, I could type them quite well and smoothly without much hesitation. I felt proud. My brain became fast slacked when I stopped using it, but apparently, my fingers were not. There were irreversible memories buried in my finger tips. I could recall them so easily, so fast, that now my fingers are almost flying on the keyboard.
The same goes with cycling. I learned how to cycle when I was about ten years old. We didn’t have a bicycle at home at the time. One day in school compound, our neighbors’ kids were riding bicycles. I fancied myself riding it. Kindly, they let me do and also helped me to learn how to cycle as well. I tumbled few times because my short legs and small feet were struggling hard to reach the pedals of the adults’ size bicycle. However I preserved…and then, by the late afternoon, I could cycle around the compound with no problem. On and off, I cycled with borrowed bicycles after that, but not very often, till twenty years later during my university days in the US. The campus was big and I needed a transport to move around. So I bought one, a bicycle. Though initially I wasn’t sure whether I could still remember it or not, but as soon as I pedaled on it, no problem. I could not only cycle around the campus but also ride out in the busy town for errands. Hah…my body and legs kept the memories for all those years while the brain forgets everything so easily whatever is not in sights.
Our body is like auto-pilot machines. Once you fine tune them for any given tasks, after a while, it runs automatically like an auto-pilot machine. Then, our ever busy-mind runs off miles away from whatever we are doing. We so often become mindless, joyless, and lifeless in what we are doing in the present moment; instead runs ever busy in between the past and future; busy to regret over the past and busy to plan the future; for all the while the body performs its given tasks on faithful auto-piloted program. We eat the same kinds of food all day long; we wear the same color and types of clothes day after day; we drive the same routes to work month after month; we repeat the same works year after year— all the while, the mind profoundly churning the same thoughts again and again. According to research, 95 % of our thoughts, emotions are repeat of yesterdays’. Is there any wonder, why we become so reluctant to any kinds of changes, challenges internally as well as externally, as the years goes by?
Well, I have been on this journey of body and mind for many years. I thought I have been on the right track. Mostly but not quite perfectly…I found that out last month when I came down with the stones in my gallbladder. As you might know me, I exercise a lot and meditate without fail, eat moderately and lead relatively balanced lifestyle. I also have my healer husband. And yet, I got sick with a liver problem, that which indicates the stress levels in my system have been on the rise. Lately, I’ve been not feeling well, almost depressed, except when I teach Yoga. I came to alive during Yoga classes only, but, other than that, I’ve been hiding in my cave of home to hibernate for the rest of day. I realized why… I forgot to take care of myself, taking for granted of my husband as it was his job when it comes to taking care of my health, while I just followed my mind’s tendency to busy itself with many projects wanting to accomplish fast and quick! (My Pitta dosha tendency…)
Nature always has its own way of teaching lessons when we behave stubborn. My hubby used to say I am a difficult patient to treat. I didn’t believe it. Well, I guess I was. So, as soon as I saw that and how I have been running on auto-pilot even with Yoga, it was like I got a wake-up call. I open my ears to him. More than anything, I listened to my body. I was being a bit too harsh last one year, waking up well before 5 am and often slept past midnight, occupied with my busy mind and lots of to-do lists. As Richard Carlson said, our in-box would never be empty until the moment we die. So, I decided just to hang out, take it easy, with extra sleep and rest, which I rarely do. Then, I could regain my love and passion for the present moment, not running too much for past or future. In turn, it slowly restored my health back too. Inspirations for daily life came back as well...
It was a good lesson I learned last two months. Now I can catch myself when it is about to go on auto-machine, the aches from the liver! Then, I would immediately slow down and watch how my mind slipped out again in its haywire habits. Thus, I have been more at peace these days, and more gratitude and love I feel too... The full moon in the sky last night was so beautiful… I guess we all need to get sick once in a while to appreciate the value of good health…Dear friends, you too, don't forget to take care!
