Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Unveiling the Eyes

Philadelphia is filled with people who are armored, on the defense, ready to attack or always in fear that they themselves will be. Out of everywhere in the world, where we reside, in Philadelphia, is known to be the most angry, hostile and scared human beings. The theme is success, wealth and looking good. Most are open to yoga and know of it, as it is a practice that many think is strictly about toning the body and getting in shape. However, there are other levels to yoga that are not as known. Yoga offers healing that can open the heart at a level no other physical exercise can offer.

When people cross by each other on the street, there are very few who will take the time to look into your eyes; even fewer smile out of courtesy to be polite. It is a rare occasion that someone driving will wait for you as you pull your car out of a spot or slowly get into your spot while you attempt to parallel park. Many are impatient, rude, always rushing, in a hurry to get to x, y, and z; often not even knowing why they are in such a hurry.

In the practice of eye gazing, there is a window of opportunity that allows you to be met with love, creating intimacy with another just for the pure innocence of loving. Like the affection from a mother caressing her baby with love as she gazes at her child; that feeling of being in love with your baby that a parent often feels is the same unconditional love that can be created through eye gazing.

As you look into anothers eyes, and are met with the same persistent gaze of commitment as the person looking at you, the wall of defense, the armor that our eyes can sometimes live in, is given an opportunity to melt away. The eyes are the window to the soul, and I like to view them as an extension of the heart. As you sit in the eye gazing meditation with another, the tears of armor has a chance to be revealed, released and dropped away. Literally tears can sometimes arrive; not as a sign of weakness that you have sadness, but rather, a courage that you are willing to be seen and hold presence for or from another, and the tears symbolize that armoring falling away. As the armor falls away, from our eyes/from our hearts, a deeper connection of intimacy has a chance to be created; a feeling of safety, of love, of beauty, of pure connection to another. Only through being vulnerable and allowing oneself to be seen, be met, be grounded in anchoring your heart to the earth with the connection to another is the opportunity for deep connection of intimacy allowed to be manifest.

So love, let your love in, let others love you, and open yourself to allowing the truth of your heart to give to others in love. There is no greater gift on this planet than love. It is what everyone desires!

All my Love,

Asttarte