Conditioning

And I'm not talking about getting in shape physically, although that is a concern for many, myself included and certainly something we all think about this year.

The conditioning I'm referring to is the lesson I heard yesterday from my retreat. We grow up with conditioning. Some of it is genetic and some is environmental. And none of it is our fault.

Wow, did I love hearing that. The unspoken rules of my family are NOT my fault. Whew!

And then comes the BUT.

It IS my responsibility to recognize the conditions and make decisions to do something about them.

Darn, I thought I was going to walk away liberated from any burdens.

No way.

The title of his talk was The Art of Letting Go. And he talked in great length that letting go is an art. And once you have let go of everything you have reached enlightenment. And how many can boast of that truth? Not.

But we can practice and practice. Letting go is more than letting that thought pass by, it's going deeper to the feeling in your body of that thought and reaching down and recognizing and acknowledging that bodily sensation. And most importantly, not reacting as we've been conditioned, but to re-condition or de-condtion ourselves.

It sounds so much easier than it is and that's why many of us give up or never start the practice. Listening not only to the words of others but to our body is critical in this learning curve of life.

Just think of all that could probably be accomplished if only we all approached life from within.

Namaste.