Doors of Perception – Newsletter

I just came home from watching Dune with my father. I loved how the film worked on many different levels—showing us the conscious, the subconscious, what is seen and what works in the shadows. It’s a wonderful reminder of how there is always so much going on in each moment, each experience. We can choose to look at just the superficial layer, the one we see with our eyes, OR we can broaden our scope of perception to see the nuances, the undertones.

What does that look like? How does one hone this skill?

Meditation, pranayama, yoga, martial arts and other mindfulness techniques are used to hone our skill of perception. These practices help us connect to and listen to the parts of ourselves that are not as loud as our minds, such as our bodies and intuition. Once we gain an understanding of ourselves, the next layer is to listen to the world around us— to what is being said or expressed on layers deeper than what we see with our senses.

That’s the first step.

The second step is to understand that we are two parts—who we think we are and who we really are. Innately dualistic, the mind is always differentiating between itself and everything else. The mindful practices teach us to move beyond our minds, to step back and watch the mind as we would an animal. We start to realize that we are not our minds, that it is just another mechanism hard at work to keep us alive. We, the part of us that is not the mind, innately know there is something beyond our thoughts, our understanding- that there is something greater than our minds to be experienced.

What is it?

Some call it home, Divine, God, Spirit. Some describe it as feeling whole, complete, full.

What do you call it? How would you describe it?

Humans have been seeking this feeling, this experience, since the beginning of time. Very few have been able to maintain the feeling for long periods. Few have been able to maintain that state. And I don’t think we need to. Experiencing it every so often gives so many of us enough inspiration to keep showing up— on our mats, in our lives and with each other.

What it teaches us: We are not just our minds. We are not just our bodies. We are spiritual beings, beings that have spirit/energy/Divinity moving through us. That energy is moving through all things. It is the link between all things. It is our link to widen perception. It gives us the ability to see beyond the seen, into the unseen. It is where our intuition, our gut knowing, lives. It helps us transcend the mundane into the sacred.

What has been opening up your perceptions lately? Any films, books, podcasts, lectures, practices that have been opening you up? I’d love to hear about them – feel free to email us back or post in the FB group.

Clara.