A yoga instructor once told me the ancient myth of Krishna’s flute and the cow maidens. I’m going to try my best to paraphrase, but if you know this story better than me, please let me know!
Here it goes: Krishna, a Hindu god, was this amazing flute player, and one night, under a full moon, he began to play his music so beautifully that it captured the attention of several cow maidens from nearby farms. Women began dropping their..um...cows... and ran over to dance with Krishna under the moonlight. More and more maidens followed, all of them so hypnotized by the sound of the flute that they latched onto Krishna. Eventually, they looked down and realized Krishna was gone, and they were instead standing still, holding onto each other. Krishna was in the center, playing his flute, with his wife, who was holding him ever so lightly, and swaying to the music. The lesson here? Well, I would argue that there are some underlying tones in this one… but the overarching lesson that this tale is trying to convey is the importance of holding lightly. The maidens who held tightly got lost in their grasp, as well as their need to get closer and closer, realizing in the end that they were no longer dancing in the moonlight.
Attachment is a part of life. Sometimes, though, we hold on so tightly that we develop tunnel vision. When was the last time you became so passionate about one thing, you allowed it to drain your time, energy, or maybe even your resources? Or maybe you’ve experienced this on a smaller scale, like the time you got so caught up in trying to prove a point, you forgot what point you were trying to make in the first place. For me, this happens all. the. time. And the more I notice it, the more I can work with it.
My offering to you this week is this: Where are you holding on more tightly than you should? Notice the long-term stuff first. Are you dumping all of your emotional energy into your job? Or maybe you’re having a hard time releasing a part of the past, and you find yourself carrying a heavy load of resentment, grief, or nostalgia? Or is it something physical- a wardrobe of unused clothes, an addiction to chocolate (guilty)?
Then, notice the ones that pop up unexpectedly- an interaction with the Philz barista, a text thread with the cutie from the bar, or, in a heated debate with a coworker, your stance on White Claw vs. Truly, or whether or not we can have both The Bachelor and feminism at the same time. Notice it all, and try to remember that with whatever comes up, it is totally human to feel this attachment. Notice compassionately.
Okay. Here’s the hard part. See if you can identify what this thing you're holding onto wants you to know. What is it you really want? Love? Closeness? Security? A moonlit dance to some rockin' flute? From there, it should be a little bit easier to loosen your grip and give yourself a little more breathing (or dancing) room.
Hey, it’s a practice. You’re doing great.