February 2nd, 2017
Affirmation: I take the time to notice what's right in me, in others, and in the world around me.
Word of the Day: umbra (n):
____
The Film of Life
When I talk about the film of life, I am not talking about a movie.
Rather, I am referring to the layer of life "dust" that accumulates over our selves and our spirits, caking in layers as experience washes over us day after day. This life silt eventually sticks to us until it is hard to distinguish where we end and it begins. And so our personal light is dimmed, our essence shielded from what we face daily - and what we bring to life daily.
It is tempting - and certainly easier, as it requires less effort - to allow the film of life to build upon us, shielding us from experiencing life directly and with our whole beings. It is like experiencing life wearing dark shades. This "shield" from life can also often turn into a prison, trapping us underneath its weighty walls, like an insect trapped within a jam jar. It can cause us to feel depressed from the disconnection we feel from life. These layers can turn from cobwebs to cables before we know it.
It is so important that we periodically take the time to wipe this life dust off our "windshields." We cannot selectively numb - that is to say, just as we cannot numb sadness without also numbing happiness from our lives, we cannot block out darkness from our lives without also blocking out the light.
There are various ways to cleanse ourselves from the film of life and depending on the person and the circumstances, these practices need to be practiced more or less frequently or in larger or smaller doses. It is very situation dependent and unique to each individual.
If you have a hard time figuring out what practices might work for you, identifying what self-care looks like and feels like to you is a good place to start. While there is usually quite a bit of overlap between self-care practices and film-cleaning practices, they are different Venn diagram circles, so to speak. For example, getting a massage or going for a hike in nature are for me both film-cleaning and a form or self-care while getting a pedicure or going to see a play or movie is just self-care. Similarly, the ritual of tidying up/ weeding as well as meditation and pranayama are both only film cleansing for me.
Some other possibilities include:
- Journaling
- Taking a (bubble) bath
- Art
- Playing a musical instrument
- Singing
- Dancing
- Burning sage/ incense/ candles
- Smudging
- Talking to a trusted friend or therapist
- Cooking
- Watching the sun rise/ set
- Reading inspirational books/ poetry
- Writing
- Crying
- Gratitude journaling/ saying out loud
- Mindfulness/ doing one thing at a time and being fully present
- Tai chi/ yoga
- Connecting with an animal
- Knitting/ crafting
- Aromatherapy
- Prayer
- Gardening
- Laughing
- Community service/ volunteering
- Cloud watching/ bird watching
- Visualizing
- Daydreaming/ doodling
- Playing a game
- Going on a self date
What are some things you do to clean off some life film?
What are some things you would like to try?
What challenges or barriers do you face in practicing these things?
Affirmation: I take the time to notice what's right in me, in others, and in the world around me.
Word of the Day: umbra (n):
1. shade; shadow.
2. the invariable or
characteristic accompaniment or companion of a person or thing.
Lightning
This is no ordinary friendship.
I attend your banquet as wine attends.
Like lightning, I am an expert at dying.
Like lightning, this beauty has no language.
It makes no difference
whether I win or lose.
You sit with us in a congregation of the dead,
where one handful of dirt says,
I was once a head of hair.
Another, I was a backbone.
You say nothing.
Love comes in, I can deliver you
from yourself in this moment.
Now lover and beloved grow quiet.
My mouth is burning with sweetness.
I attend your banquet as wine attends.
Like lightning, I am an expert at dying.
Like lightning, this beauty has no language.
It makes no difference
whether I win or lose.
You sit with us in a congregation of the dead,
where one handful of dirt says,
I was once a head of hair.
Another, I was a backbone.
You say nothing.
Love comes in, I can deliver you
from yourself in this moment.
Now lover and beloved grow quiet.
My mouth is burning with sweetness.
____
The Film of Life
When I talk about the film of life, I am not talking about a movie.
Rather, I am referring to the layer of life "dust" that accumulates over our selves and our spirits, caking in layers as experience washes over us day after day. This life silt eventually sticks to us until it is hard to distinguish where we end and it begins. And so our personal light is dimmed, our essence shielded from what we face daily - and what we bring to life daily.
It is tempting - and certainly easier, as it requires less effort - to allow the film of life to build upon us, shielding us from experiencing life directly and with our whole beings. It is like experiencing life wearing dark shades. This "shield" from life can also often turn into a prison, trapping us underneath its weighty walls, like an insect trapped within a jam jar. It can cause us to feel depressed from the disconnection we feel from life. These layers can turn from cobwebs to cables before we know it.
It is so important that we periodically take the time to wipe this life dust off our "windshields." We cannot selectively numb - that is to say, just as we cannot numb sadness without also numbing happiness from our lives, we cannot block out darkness from our lives without also blocking out the light.
There are various ways to cleanse ourselves from the film of life and depending on the person and the circumstances, these practices need to be practiced more or less frequently or in larger or smaller doses. It is very situation dependent and unique to each individual.
If you have a hard time figuring out what practices might work for you, identifying what self-care looks like and feels like to you is a good place to start. While there is usually quite a bit of overlap between self-care practices and film-cleaning practices, they are different Venn diagram circles, so to speak. For example, getting a massage or going for a hike in nature are for me both film-cleaning and a form or self-care while getting a pedicure or going to see a play or movie is just self-care. Similarly, the ritual of tidying up/ weeding as well as meditation and pranayama are both only film cleansing for me.
Some other possibilities include:
- Journaling
- Taking a (bubble) bath
- Art
- Playing a musical instrument
- Singing
- Dancing
- Burning sage/ incense/ candles
- Smudging
- Talking to a trusted friend or therapist
- Cooking
- Watching the sun rise/ set
- Reading inspirational books/ poetry
- Writing
- Crying
- Gratitude journaling/ saying out loud
- Mindfulness/ doing one thing at a time and being fully present
- Tai chi/ yoga
- Connecting with an animal
- Knitting/ crafting
- Aromatherapy
- Prayer
- Gardening
- Laughing
- Community service/ volunteering
- Cloud watching/ bird watching
- Visualizing
- Daydreaming/ doodling
- Playing a game
- Going on a self date
What are some things you do to clean off some life film?
What are some things you would like to try?
What challenges or barriers do you face in practicing these things?
Love this post! The film on your mind is what we see the world through and that is put on the spotless mind over the years by our families/friends/schools/media and so many influences that we let in inadvertently as well. The mind is likened to a mirror in many wisdom traditions and one that needs to be polished daily to reflect Reality without filters and biases. As Borges said ' No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver'. The values and belief systems that we blindly adhere to are the film that convince us that they are the 'truth'. If one sees through the film, it is no better than being blind. It helps me to ask myself regularly 'Is that the truth?' no matter what the source. Thanks for such wonderful posts. xoxo. m
ReplyDeleteI love that quote. The film on the mirror/windows can also be likened to algae/ overgrowth/ moss on a clear pond or a river that has become stagnant.
DeleteI think that we so often are caught up in the blind adherence to systems that we never pause to question them amidst the rush and hurry of our days - we never slow down and ask ourselves really important questions and connect with our truths.