My husband and I have lived in our current home for 17 years. Over those years, our yard has gone through many different expressions. It has literally gone from a mud puddle to the oasis (in my opinion) that it is today!
But let me tell you, the trial and error was great. There were countless trees, shrubs and flowers; tried and failed over the years. Thankfully there were those that survived and thrived too! My two favourite trees, are the trees that our boys proudly brought home on Arbour Day-17 & 16 years ago. Thanks to my handy hubby, last year we planted a little veggie garden! Growing my own food not only nourishes my body, but my soul too!
I absolutely love watching the growth cycle. We have two more trees growing right outside our living room window. I find it fascinating to watch the leaf buds appear on the bare branches, then observing the many phases that those leaves transition through, all the way back to bare branches again.
This year I have been watching this natural progression through birth, growth and decay with much more interest. Over the last 16 months, I have really dedicated myself to a deeper study of the philosophy behind yoga. Our connection to the cycle of nature is talked about a lot. Because of these teachings, I noticed just how removed I am from these cycles. I sit behind my window and watch it, and unless I am working in my garden, I feel largely removed from the whole process.
When I stop to think about it though, everything in my life goes through this birth, growth and decay cycle. The plants in my garden, the clothes in my closet, jobs I have had, relationships- some short term & some lifelong, and of course, this body that I live in. Everything in this world is going through this cycle, there is no way past it.
In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali (the author of the Yoga Sutra) describes the five Kleshas. Kleshas are veils that limit our way of seeing not just the world, but everything. These Kleshas are:
Avidya: Wrong knowledge or not acknowledging our Divine nature.
Asmita: Ego. The ego is that little storyteller in our mind.
Raga: Craving or a wanting of fleeting pleasures.
Dvesa: Aversion or avoidance of unpleasant experiences.
Abhinivesah: Fear of our immortality.
When I read about these Kleshas, I can see why I feel so removed from the natural cycle of nature. I think that Avidya (wrong knowledge) has a pretty strong hold on the way we, as the human race, interact with the world. Somewhere along the way, we thought it better for human life to pull out all the trees, to remove all the animals, to spray for all the bugs; because we need to build a town and make money.
The first step is acknowledging these vails, so we can see the world as the interconnected entity that it is. For me, the best way to pull the kleshas off is to observe how they play out in my life, acknowledge when they show up and trying to understand and learn why they are there. Sounds easy, right? This deep study of ourselves and these tendencies is what yoga is all about. Self study isn’t easy, it’s hard work and it takes consistency. But truly understanding ourselves is the most important work we can do!
So, until I can fully embrace my role in this world, I will continue digging in the dirt and watching how my yard progresses through the cycles without resistance. Maybe, just maybe, through this observance, it will be easier to see how my life moves through this progression as well!
Happy gardening,
Sandra