I’m more of an observer of life than I’ve ever been, does this typically happen with age? I used to think it really wasn’t rock and roll to sit back and enjoy what nature had to offer, my dad would sit watching the birds out of the window at the back of the house and be completely enthralled by their antics. I’ve got a friend that’s the same, for years I just wondered what on earth compelled them so much to watch birds pecking, and jumping around, wondering if a cat came how it might get a bit more action orientated.
But now I understand, I’ve taken the time to observe becoming mindful of the wondrous nature of our world and you can find me sat distracted watching Big John Crow and the Gang out of the back window, sitting by the field watching the lambs, out across the mountain wondering about life, I’ve done what most of us hope will never happen in our youth, yes slowly I became elements of my parents….
For years I was unaware of the amazing processes of life, the ones of the body, of nature, they passed me by, whilst I lived life in the fast lane, as I thought. I had no understanding of what drove my actions, thinking it was all down to myself, believing totally I was in charge, funny really the more I know, the more I know I don’t know, and my learning list is now bigger than my laundry pile. I laugh with a friend about our daily book hunt, it’s out of hand, we have more books than I can read in a lifetime, so much to learn so little time.
In modern life we no longer value the simplicity of life, mostly over complicating things to have a means to an end, our bodies and lives less valued than the things we are working for, or the work itself. If we consider the body on a mechanical level as we are mostly taught there is nothing to compare to it, all the AI and robotic contributions are no where near to meeting the complexity and magnificence of the container we live in. They still only understand a tiny amount of what the body does to function and connect.
We are conditioned daily by our media and culture to focus outside of this vessel, more than ever objects for happiness are promoted ironically using the absolute beauty of the vessel bringing it down to base, and removing the respect we should have for this one time gig. The consideration for our body falls by the way side as some people use them to fight for the latest TV in a supermarket or the lowest oil price removing all compassion for others in the process. The lack of being present is high, as a culture more than ever we live life through a constructed reality, an awareness created for us, forgetting to then actually physically take part, considering that those within the screen are giving us the reality that we supposedly crave, whilst ignoring those in the room with you who are there to directly connect and bond. The interaction that we gain from physically connecting works on a multitude of levels within the body, our cells respond to each other when we meet, in fact our cells respond to everything in our environment, changing the functioning of the body accordingly. So who, and what we have in our environment matters, it really does if we want to have a truly well functioning body.
We are more connected than ever, yet less connected to reality unsurprising really that yoga and meditation are so popular now as we try to hold onto something that is intuitively enabling us to find our way into ourselves. Enabling us to take part rather than stand on the outside of the fish bowl looking in, life isn’t about watching, it’s the experience that matters. When that experience isn’t one we benefit from our body functions start to change, and reflect, slowly we think our body is breaking down, when all it’s doing is responding to an environment we have created for it.
This disconnection is leading us to lack understanding in what truly feeds us, on so many levels, it’s different for all of us, but if we step out and listen to our own inner wisdom, our own intelligence it will guide you in the right direction. This enables you to lose rigid concepts created to be followed without engagement on any other level but implementation, what’s right for others doesn’t mean it’s right for you, but the only one who truly can determine that is you.
As we age we lose our innocence, our sense of childlike curiosity for our world, particularly on the day to day level. Gain back the sense of wonder, particularly if you are ill, about what it means to use the body to engage in listening, and feeling at levels you have never done before. There are endless amounts of answers out there, but you have to be aware enough to engage in the one that is right for you.
