Life Up High

There's a vast emptiness within all of us. An unexplored oasis beckoning to us, calling us in. There's so much inside of us that goes unused, unnoticed, untapped, and rarely understood. While the notion that we only use 10% of our brains rests more in popular folklore than scientific theory, and clearly there are studies in brain physiology that actually suggest most if not all areas of the brain have function, it's hard to believe that there isn't something deeper than just our physical brain. I dare not open the argument of whether or not we have a soul, but I find it hard to believe that someone can believe that there isn't something deeper. Regardless of others beliefs, I feel as though there is so much more beyond our thoughts, brains, or however you'd like to word it. There's a space within, regardless of your religion, beliefs, or lack thereof, that is begging to be explored if only we'd take the time to slow down and do so. I know as I've taken this journey down a quiet inner rode (yoga), not just this time, but in the past as well, I find this space when I devote myself to slowing down, listening to something deeper, and quieting my mind. I am unsure what to call it, whether it's as deep and boundless as I imagine, but I feel like it's an empty canvas, waiting for all the vibrant rich colors I dare to throw at it. I find myself searching for this space within when I am quiet in my yoga practice, meditating, walking, or just finding that place where my mind finally shuts up. I find myself more centered when I can merely step foot into this place. Like a sacred journey, ShubhYatra, into the unknown.

  It's not just during yoga that I find myself staring into this unknown. There are times when I've been climbing and I seem to just flow over stone. If you are a climber, and have been for any respectable amount of time, I am sure that you too have experienced this state of grace. That sensation where you are literally dancing with gravity, gently finding your way over a difficult piece of stone, gliding and utterly free. If you've experienced such freedom then it inevitably brings you back each time, searching for that grace, craving that dance. Within the space of your heart, and your mind, you continue climbing, searching for those moments, those climbs where you are so free and feel an elation that only one who has been there knows. It's something that seems so incomprehensible to a person who hasn't gone that deep. It seems mystical and whimsical all at once. So often we are asked why we climb, what's the appeal, and why we risk it all. I firmly believe that in doing so, in risking so much, in quieting our mind in the face of such great peril, only then can we tap into that beautiful pristine place within that we cannot explore under normal circumstances.

  I'm not sure what brings you inwards to this space, or if you have even experienced it or tried to set off in search of it, but I know that if you have, then you understand. It seems so ironic that we cruise through this life on auto pilot, stopping to explore deeper so infrequently. As a western culture we seem almost cynical about the possibilities. I know it's there, and I truly relish the moments when I can stick my head through that door and peer inside. I've heard of ultra runners experiencing something similar. I know that I've been there even while simply running some of my favorite trails. I've felt the air beneath my feet and a lightness that has set me free. I've even experienced something of the sort while sparring. It's as if you can see, feel, and hear your opponent making a move before they actually do.

  I love the landscape within us and yet I must struggle to connect with these moments, with this space. Much like the rest of society, I often feel that my over taxed brain is 100% in control. All cognitive thought is in order. All circuits are firing. I wonder if our upbringing brings us to a place of misinformed logic, or are we truly at our maximum potential for a species. I'm not certain I know more than the next guy, but I do feel this space whirling inside of me. As I age, learn, grow, and blossom, I am more curious about what's beyond. I don't mean what's beyond this life, as I'm not in a hurry to get there, but what's beyond our thoughts. What's in there? Am I the only one out there wondering if I've reached this point? I'm quite certain of the fact that I am not, but I'm less certain of the fact that it's acceptable to discuss these days.

  Regardless of your stance on the subject, I implore you to listen closely the next time you are pushed to your limits, and can sense that there is actually more buried inside of you! I challenge you to be gentle, and reach towards that “more”. I hope that we can all get to a place where our curiosity gently nudges us out into a place where we become disenchanted with the status quo, with being okay with just being okay. I believe that we are so much more capable, that we are so much more than just human beings on auto pilot through this life. I know that personally I have reached a place in life where I am comfortable, incredibly happy, and yet I'm unsatisfied with just coasting into the end. I want to explore beyond what I know, have known, and what society tells me is the limit. I have seen happiness beyond description in a place half way around the world, in a people with FAR less than we have, and that happiness was genuine and to the core. I know that it is out there for all of us, and I'm willing to step into that blank canvas and continue to take whatever moments I can within that place, relishing each breath. I'm willing to push off from the safety of shore and take off on a journey into the unknown, a sacred journey.....Shubh Yatra! Like a flower blooming from an unsuspecting, seemingly empty space, we too have the ability to flourish in a space seemingly uninhabitable.