Life is a series of experiences that we seem to have whilst in a body, using something called a mind to interpret, organize, and categorize them into something useful to our advancement as a species. Evolution.... Hopefully, right?
But what, really, WHAT is happening? How is all of this taking place?
To start with (and maybe you stop reading now) I DON'T KNOW.
That being said, I've had plenty of experiences that have been graced upon me that, to a limit, allowed for understanding to dawn. Being a full-time yogi for several years now, and committing myself to understanding the mystery of consciousness (that has yet to be satisfactorily explained from our most intelligent scientists), I am glad to say that whilst being in a state of not knowing, I have steadily begun to appreciate the mystery. And a mystery it is indeed...
Not knowing also means not knowing where to begin with this post, so I guess I'll just explain where I'm at and we can go from there. There seems to be subtle energy moving in my body (and I suspect in yours as well) that defies the most logical explanations and is impossible to define. I guess that is why all the ancient texts and most dated scriptures speak in stories and metaphors. We can only come close to capturing with words the essence nature of a human being, which is fundamentally pure energy, but using symbolism, imagery, and story telling we end up allowing for a deeper and more meaningful connection.
I sense that our relationship and identification with our energy, the animating force behind our existence, is the most meaningful relationship we can cultivate in our lives, because it is through this connection that we begin to understand our interconnectedness with all other things. The more depth and exploration we have in our own bodies to actually feel what is going on and understand the mysteries behind our consciousness, the greater our ability to 'feel' the world. Ultimately, science is telling us that everything is interconnected, and that the atoms that are in my body in this moment now are actually disappearing and re-appearing at such a rapid rate and exchanging themselves with the atoms in my environment. It is possible that the atom in my right hand typing this paragraph was once an atom in a Siberian Tiger, and before that in Albert Einstein, and before that in the piece of chalk in his hand as he wrote the Grand Unified Theory on a massive blackboard.
It is through an intentional yoga practice that I've unveiled my connection to this energy, although I suspect that it is always there and in all human beings. We have just become so dense to the sensation of such subtlety because we have been drawn for so long into the world of our senses. Not right or wrong, just an observation around what is happening. If we ultimately know that we are made of pure energy, then how are we to begin to understand something so seemingly abstract? What even is 'pure energy'?
It is a true mystery, and what all spiritual practices and religious texts attempt to explain. In the Bible it says that we are created in the image of God, which could be interpreted as saying we are of something 'other worldly'. It is impossible to interpret literally, as the closer we get to infinity the more of an abstraction it becomes.
We are all connected to 'it'. The energy, that is. And the more often we practice removing ourselves from the object of our attention and instead place our attention on that which is attentive, the more we are identifying with our Source. When this happens, we are stepping outside of the subjective lens of our reality. We have stopped the ego's perpetual and maniac self-identification process which is required for our survival and instead entered into a state of what many consider spiritual bliss or enlightenment. These things happen in stages and are available to everyone the moment we pause, close the eyes, and enter the inner space. It is in this 'inner space' that all things are birthed, where Creation itself lies dormant inside, patiently awaiting our exploration of it.
Find the things that allow you to connect with your Source. It really is in everything, and certainly is in you. When you do so, with sincere intention and the curiosity of a child, you open yourself to receiving a new insight, a new understanding, a new revelation, or perhaps simply just a feeling of peace because we find out that we really are the beginning and end of everything that exists. We are the epicenter of the whole Universe, and the Universe is just projected externally so we can have a beautiful mirror to reflect the depth of our own perfection.
The constant discovery that takes place through intentional practice is what allows us to subtly navigate the mysterious reality we live in. We are afraid because it is unknowable, so we end up latching onto the old but familiar stories, but instead of running and hiding from the mystery, we step boldly into the uncharted territory and allow the torch of our heart to illuminate the darkness, so that we might see our hand clasping the pen scribbling ink on the page, as we write the story of our lives.