"Balance is the point I cross
on my way to the other extreme."
~ A Mentor of Mine
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| Baltic Sea (Ost See), Northeast Germany |
It’s been several months since I’ve written a post. And do
you know why? It’s a 6-letter word called SUMMER. Yes, in and among meeting with
you, my beloved clients worldwide, I’ve been traveling in foreign cities, camping in
wildernesses, exploring forests, swimming in streams. In the past, I’ve pushed
myself to write articles while traveling. But this summer, I decided to tune
in, drop out, listen to the flow of rivers, oceans of consciousness in which I’ve
had the luxury of swimming. I’ve been online less, resting more.
Even with the unplugging intention this summer, it’s still difficult
to live without distraction. So often, I desire to run away, to flee back to my
semi-monastic years in India. But the dharma of my life has me here, in the
world, doing that imperfect dance of the ever-elusive state known as balance.
Ah, yes, balance. This is where imperfection does its thing,
perfectly. Think of a tightrope walker high above the circus. She is never
completely in balance. The muscles in her feet, the tiniest bones, are constantly
moving, shifting, keeping her aligned. It is never perfect.
I love the analogy of being permanently off-course, and
still finding our way to a goal. Think of an airplane at 30,000 feet, en route
to Hawaii. The airplane is always just
slightly off-course. The auto-pilot technology continuously adjusts, adjusts,
adjusts. It appears to be a straight shot all the way to Maui. But the truth
is, the plane has been off-course the entire time.
I’ve been practicing yoga asana for 25 years, taking my
first course in the UC Davis Experimental College before studios appeared on every
corner. My body has changed over the years. Some poses that were mentally scary
or seemingly impossible in my early 20’s are now easy – like headstand. I have
noticed less flexibility in backbends. And I have far more strength in my 40’s,
especially as I’ve taken up trail running in the East Bay Hills. And, with increasing
strength has come better balance.
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| Virgin Mary Chapel, Andechs Monastery, Munich |
The Imperfect Art of Health
Today is the New Moon in Virgo, sign of the Virgin - meaning, a woman whole unto Herself. Virgo is often critiqued as
the “picky, perfectionist” sign. But I see it more as refinement. Whatever is needed, less or more…that is refinement.
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| New Shoes in Lisse, Holland |
The sixth house of the astrology chart, traditionally ruled
by Virgo, is the house of hygiene. And hygiene does not just pertain to physical
health. It is also spiritual, mental, and emotional. The word “hygiene” comes
from the from Greek hugieinē,
meaning the ‘(art) of health.’ Like all forms of art, healthy living is
individual, unique, original, and above all, authentic.
What is healthy living
for me, may be entirely different for you. What I eat may not nourish you. What
you smoke may not support me. Who you sleep with may perplex me. Who I love may
confuse you. But the ultimate decider of what is HEALTHY is… YOU. Your own
inner authority. You, and your own Higher Self. You decide. Hence, the falsity,
the illusion, the LIE of perfectionism when it comes to health, to anything
really.
Where are you lying to yourself? Where are you consciously
or unconsciously living by the lies imposed upon you by others, by society, by
culture? Are the beliefs that you have around what constitutes a healthy
lifestyle surreptitiously sneaking in to harm you? Maybe you have a non-binary,
non-right/wrong approach to gender, to food, to intoxicants. Maybe your
struggle to attain the perfect amount of money, power, prestige, beauty, youth,
creative expression, relationship, even mental health or spiritual serenity is
driving you insane… even, paradoxically, the desire to attain inner peace – the
subtle striving to be a super human. Can you see that sneaking in?
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| Typisch Deutsches Essen, Brandenburg |
What happens if we let go of all that sh*t, no pun intended,
and simply practice the art of health, of hygiene, that works for us, today?
What happens if we listen to what we authentically need in the moment? What
happens if we have faith that we will make the best choice for ourselves? When
we say f* off to those rules and belief systems that purportedly protect and
help us, but actually strangle our spirits and true selves? What if we trust
that we will, like that airplane en route to Hawaii, get exactly where we need
to go, all the while being ever-so-slightly off balance, imperfect all the
time?
Yes, what if?
Trust that your body-mind-spirit know exactly what they
need. Uniquely you. So, take an end of summer holiday, and drop the stress-monger
super ego perfect voice, just for today.
Erin Reese
is an author, spiritual guide, astrologer, and modern psychic reader based in the San
Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For
readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her
directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.
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| Practicing headstand - imperfectly - on Mother Earth - German countryside |
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| Running in Former East Berlin |
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| Rolling Stones, Olympiastadion, Berlin |
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| South Lake Tahoe Bear Friend |
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| Desolation Wilderness, Lake Tahoe Basin |
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| Reichstag Dome, Berlin |
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| Backpacking, Lake Aloha, Desolation Wilderness |
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Erin Reese
is an author, spiritual guide, astrologer, and modern psychic reader based in the San
Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For
readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her
directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.
