Many, many years ago I had a picture cartoon of an ostrich with its head in the sand and the caption was as below: "Please don't tell me to relax - it's only my tension that's holding me together!"
I used to use it when I was referring to how people mistakenly think that the practice of yoga and learning to relax wouldn't be helpful. The implication was that, like the foolish ostrich, they were ignoring what was obvious to everyone else and they were avoiding dealing with whatever needed to be accomplished...
Well imagine my surprise when, not only did I come across this cute ostrich photo with a familiar caption, but it would appear that ostriches don't put their head in the sand and never did. They have been the subject of 'Fake News' from long before we knew there was such a thing!
Talk about sitting up and taking stock of what belief structures I have been holding onto... just because someone once said it!
and yes I have been avoiding dealing with lots of stuff and ignoring what has been obvious to everyone else.
But not anymore.
So, there are two parts to this blog this month...
The first - is that I am relearning to relax, despite my changed circumstances. I do not believe that it is only my tension that is holding me together as I am becoming more aware that it is my support group of family and friends that are influential in helping me stay in the moment ...
and importantly, enjoy those passing moments more and more.
The second - is back to the ostrich! To escape detection, chicks and adults lie on the ground with their necks outstretched. A habit which may have given rise to the mistaken belief that the ostrich buries its head in the sand when danger threatens! They are being smart, not foolish
and also they dig a shallow hole in the ground for their eggs, so from a distance, it looks as if their heads are in the sand.
It's all about the perspective. We need to make sure that what we are seeing/believing is showing us the truth