DREAMING

I have always been one to pay attention to my dreams. Long ago I started keeping a dream journal because my dreams were so vivid, full of color and stories. Dreams are a way to work out things that happen in my daily life; they help me see things clearer most times, especially after writing them down and reviewing them a few days later.

Sometimes the dreams stay with me for days, haunting me occasionally throughout the days to follow with portions that pop up when I least expect it. But instantly, there is the recognition that a phrase or a word was in my dream. That, in my opinion, is the benefit of keeping the journal: I can go back and look at the word or the phrase (or the complete dream) that I wrote down when these things reappear.

This week, in the middle of the night, I woke up with the word "Vinyasa" floating around in my head. I immediately picked up my pencil (in the dark of night) and scribbled the word down on the paper that lays on the table next to my bed. It is amazing that in the dark of night I can see the words being written down on the paper as if the light was on. It's probably the only time that I don't worry about spelling because I don't always recognize these words, so I just jot them down as they sound in my head. They always lead me to an exact word, no matter how they are spelled.

I looked up the word "Vinyasa" because it sounded familiar to me but it is not a word that I use on a regular basis nor had I remembered hearing it in the recent past. It is a type of Yoga it turns out and the definition seems to be one that is of meaning to me; something that I should be paying attention to.

According to Wikipedia it refers to the alignment of movement and breath and is a method which turns static yoga postures into dynamic flow. The length of one exhale dictates the length of time spent transitioning between postures. In effect, attention is placed on the breath and the journey between postures rather than solely on achieving perfect body alignment in a pose, as is emphasized in Hatha Yoga.

The definition of Vinyasa seems to speak to life itself, the dynamic flow of life, transitioning between life here on earth and someplace beyond and the attention one should place on the breath and the journey while here on earth. It is important not to worry about achieving perfection, either in riches or physically but to enjoy the moment.

In light of all the people that have transitioned in my life in the past few months (we learned of two more yesterday...may they rest in peace) I feel that it is imperative that I pay the strictest attention to what my dreams are telling me. They come as teachers to me in the night. What do dreams mean to you? Do you pay attention to what is trying to come through to you? I once had a friend call me after years of not seeing each other because she had a dream about me. We have been in constant contact ever since. I have heard many descriptions of people who have been lead to write a book based on what has just "come through" to them. The messages are just waiting in the ether for us to grasp hold of I feel. Day dreams, night dreams...can one be distinguished from the other? Dream big!!!