Expressing Yourself
Dear friends,
Most widely held beliefs have a kernel of truth in them. That’s how they get started in the first place. But often the truth gets obscured or the aphorism takes on a different meaning. The one I’d like to tackle this week is the notion of expressing oneself.
Suppression on one’s impulses is often not right, and is almost always not the highest path. However, in the name of self-expression, unkindnesses are often spoken. “I was just speaking the truth” is a rather poor excuse for being self-indulgent.
As with most things, the right path can only be established by one’s consciousness and one’s motivation. Why are you saying or doing what you are following through on?
Almost all of us speak with tension. “This is for your own good” often means “I don’t like it when you do that.” In that case, for whose benefit has it been said? Find another way to release your tension rather than by foisting your “wisdom” on someone else.
If we are feeling tension and have an urge to speak, there is a special yoga posture that should be used. Press the two lips firmly together and breathe through the nose. Do not part the lips until the tension and resultant urge to speak is gone! It is called shutupasana. :)
If we are speaking from tension, we are releasing the tension by saying what we feel an urge to say. That fact is often covered up with thoughts or comments like, “If you had heard what he said you’d have replied that way yourself!” Or, “He’s been needing to hear that for a long time.” Or, “It was just the truth. If he can’t hear it, it’s his problem.” Or… you get the idea.
Words have power beyond what we are easily aware of. May we always speak as an act of service, and never to release our own tensions.
Blessings,
David G., manager
For the Gang at East West