The story is all around us

The other day I was listening to an interview with Ricky Gervais on NPR and he was saying that ordinary, real life encounters really make the best stories, and if you spend ten minutes walking down the street, you will encounter so much drama. I've been thinking about that, and how much story is constantly going on, mostly in my own head. I know I am not alone in this. We all have the ticking narrative, the commentator that is constantly describing what is going on in front of our eyes. Like those annoying broadcasters during the Olympics who were constantly spewing useless trivia while some amazing moment was happening on the screen. Do our lives really need that accompaniment? I wanted to turn on the "mute" button. I want to do that in my mind all the time.

I think that is why many of us practice Yoga, even if we don't admit that is the main reason. We all want a way to quiet our minds and find peace. Perhaps we have felt at some moment in our practice a sense of being in the moment without the words, and it felt pretty awesome. Almost as awesome as a magnificently strong and flexibile body, this joy of just being without having to label, judge, or react. Jon Kabat Zinn calls it "being-ness". Even if it's only for a second, we can experience this, though we hope with more practice we could get a little more time there (like 5 seconds!!).

My most recent teacher of Yoga is an 11month old girl named Grace (I may have mentioned her before). Grace practices Yoga from the moment she wakes up in the morning. I can hear her on the monitor, greeting her body and the world with her breath and wordless songs. I can hear her moving and exploring. Then, I go in to join her and, I noticed recently that I immediately start labeling things....good morning kitty, good morning blanket, hello daddy, diaper, toys. I realized that I was filling her head with words. I even through a few concepts in there....is it time for breakfast? Are you thirsty? Where is the doggy? I knoew we all need to learn how to view and understand our world, and part of my role is to educate her so that she will be able to eventually move out and live on her own someday. But, I feel like I should give her a little more time to enjoy her "being-ness". I think its ok to just be quiet with Grace and just let her play and explore. It's ok to just join her in grunting and cooing without having to shape those sounds into words yet. I think about those poor kids whose parents sit in front of them with flash cards at 6 months old. Why?? Why do we need to grow their frontal lobes. The world is already too fast for all of us. And, when I think about how fast, how wildly technological, how zany it's going to be by the time Grace is an adult, I want to move to an island somewhere and just let her run around naked and grow her hair and eat coconuts. I'm not kidding. I get scared for her sometimes. I want to protect her from filling her mind and creating habits that take her away from this pure self that she wakes up with everyday. She is such a light! I want her to continue to shine and be clear and open and free.

My teacher suggested that I ask Grace what she thinks that "thing" is. What might she discover. Maybe she will find a more inituitive experience of this thing than I can describe right now with my limited mind. I just keep running the same old narrative in my mind, while Grace talks to the angels in her crib. I want to learn that language, that song. So, I get up before Grace now every morning and do my Yoga practice. I spend time in poses, in breathing and deep relaxation. I meditate and try to clear my mind. So, that I can meet her in the space of being-ness and let her teach me. And, let this life teach us both. I can't wait to see what we learn tomorrow!