I was once given a handout by a teacher that said in big bold letters: Pardon the Mess; Transformation in Process. We students chuckled and then dutifully put the handout in our binder along with our notes. As I sit in the chaos and mess of my home while it is being gutted for something new to take its place, I see the truth of these words. The question is, do I see the truth of this process in my own life?
The great teachers tell us there is something major that wants to happen to us; we are blueprinted to be transformed. Not the ego’s idea of transformation, but a transformation that is beyond our current understanding. This is why so often it seems we are regressing, not progressing as we engage our yoga practice. From the view of the ego, things are not moving along as planned or hoped for. But from the soul’s perspective, the process is perfect.
Ram Dass speaks of the caterpillar as a metaphor of this process of transformation. He says that the end result of the cocoon is not to produce a flying caterpillar, but something altogether different – a butterfly. For this to happen, the caterpillar has to disintegrate into a soupy mess in order to emerge with the ability to fly. As a caterpillar, it could only crawl; now, as a butterfly, it soars. The caterpillar that fights this process never gets to fly.
This is true for us as well. We hurt ourselves when we think things should be other than they are; that we should be other than we are, or that the process of our transformation should look different than it does. As we learn to surrender and trust, we begin to willingly enter the cocoon and submit to becoming the soupy mess of someone in the process of being transformed. This is good news.
Pardon the mess…
I love this message! What a lovely reminder. And it makes me think of spring, and all those transformations about to start happening.
Blessings –
Great tie in to spring…..and every year we get to watch this miracle of transformation.
Synchronicities. Yesterday I read Angeles Arrien’s words, “The way of the Teacher accesses the human resource of wisdom. The principle that guides the Teacher is to be open to outcome . . . The way of the Teacher is a practice of trust, the container out of which the qualities of wisdom grow: clarity, objectivity, discernment, and detachment. Wisdom is at work when we are open to all options.” I appreciate your wisdom greatly Deborah. The messy soup of the process of transformation is as natural as cooking, living, meditation. We just seem to forget that in our trek. Thank you so much. ♪
Thank you Deb
I can say that until now I’ve been too ashamed to reach out to you or others I know that are like minded; because of my mess. So in reading this and replying I practice getting out of ego. Seems that some transformations feel like drowning and even yoga can seem like a foreign language. I am grateful for this message and the ability to have it resonate! A little familiarity is like air!
Marianne, I share some of your experience. Somehow we get wrapped up in thinking we should be close to perfect because we are doing yoga. When in fact yoga helps us see how much we really do “make messes” everywhere – thus the need for the practice……and the ability to trust the caccoon. Thanks for sharing.