Dhi

Photo by Bodhanaa

I am in awe of how the intelligence of life, which has many names, has continuously guided me, waking me up to the next step, next possibility. My life has been punctuated by seemingly casual occurrences that highlight what is to come next. It could be something like watching a flamenco dance, seeing the word chakra, or on a wilderness trip seeing a yogic practice called nauli. In a singular moment, that casual recognition sparks something deeper inside of me that also ‘sees’ and connects to a bigger framework, the REAL context of my life. ​

For example, years ago in my twenties, I was standing on the street in Yellow Springs with my friend Jerry. ​​We saw a car with a strange license plate. It had a single word “chakra”.

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As far as I knew, I had never seen or heard the word chakra. When Jerry asked, “What does that mean?” an answer burst forth from inside me. Even I did not know where it came from! I said, “It means wheel and has to do with energy.” Jerry looked at me funny, because when this happens it IS something funny! It tickles inside! He said, “How did you know that?” I had to shrug my shoulders. I had no idea how I knew. But from then on, the context surrounding the word chakra was vibrating inside me, not as a word, but as a life that I was waking up to.

The wake up moments leave a trail of excitement. The highlighted moment directs me to another step in my life; years after the license plate incident, I studied yoga and the chakras. If I took all of these moments and strung them like beads, it adds up to the beads of my life on a continuous gold chain of awakening.

It is the same as being able to ‘see’ through the third eye, a super power that is actually a yogic science. I was initiated into this science recently by Swamiji. The seeing comes from deep within. It is not knowledge gained externally or something memorized from long ago. It bursts forth, taking me by surprise. It is there, truth dwelling inside, waiting for the ripe time to express.

We practiced in pairs, one blindfolded and the other holding a flashcard. My practice partner was holding a number, shape or letter, waiting for me to "see" it through the third eye. Suddenly the word Dee burst forth rising up from my belly as if there was a rocket propellant pushing the word out. I did not “see” it in the normal way, I did not even have a thought that that word was coming, but there was a deep recognition inside that yelled the word Dee out. I took my blindfold off and saw the letter D on the flashcard. We all started laughing as Dhi lingered in the air, vibrating, awakened.