Layers

So many layers.

It’s not about any one particular person, so don’t get attached to the physical form. It’s about the energy, the essence of the being—the parts that can’t be seen but are deeply felt. Keep your attention on how it feels within the layers, both vertical and horizontal. We are layered in both directions.

Even when we look into the mirror, we tend to focus on the physical structure, the vessel we’ve chosen to embody. But what about the essence? The unseen? The felt?

This always brings me back to the heart. To its opening. To the practice of keeping it open—daily, moment to moment.

In a city like this, where rivers are covered and dammed with concrete, we become its reflection. Humans are masters of adaptation, consciously or not.

So what is the energy in this particular dynamic? It’s repeating again. What do I want to leave behind? Is there anything I want to carry into the next cycle?

I don’t know the answer yet. And I won’t find it in my head. I need to feel it in my heart. I need patience. The language will come on its own.

I’m still learning how to translate feeling into palabras. There are traits in this dynamic I appreciate, and others I’ll leave behind before the next roundabout.

Maybe, if I can learn the final lessons this karmic cycle holds, I’ll complete the homework. And then, I might be ready to step fully into the next cycle of this incarnation.

The Collective Mind (mini challenge)

The individual mind feeds the collective mind.

We’re often so focused on pollution in the outside world—like climate change—but the real change starts with the pollution within. Building awareness around the state of our minds leads to more lasting, meaningful change for the collective. It’s our internal world that shapes the external. When we begin to truly understand this, we’ll realize we can influence the world outside us by turning inward and becoming more mindful of what we consume.

Is it challenging? Absolutely. With the constant flood of media, I’d be lying if I said I never get sucked in. But luckily, my ADD nature tends to pull me back out of the media vortex pretty quickly.

Here’s a small challenge to help build awareness around this:

Spend the next week just paying attention to what you consume and noticing how it makes you feel. Then, the following week, take a break from your usual consumption—no news, social media, Netflix, or whatever you typically turn to—and observe how you feel.

Share your experience with those close to you. Notice if even subtle changes show up in your mood or the way you go through your day-to-day life.

Did you feel any difference in your mindset?