Seeing With The Soul

In about 10 days we will be at a retreat on the Hawaiian island of Maui that is being led by Ram Dass, Krishna Das and Jack Kornfield.  I had dreams of going to Maui to sit with Ram Das but never felt able to manifest it for a variety of self-imposed hurdles. In April of this year, inspired by the rave reviews of this experience from a dear friend, Ed and I decided to finally just put the time aside to go.  


Ram Dass is 82 years old and has touched so many lives, written extensively, spoken around the world and dedicated his life to being a bhakti yogi (a yogi of devotion).  To finally sit in the presence of someone who's been completely committed to their path is a humbling honor.  Add to that the deeply resonating voice of the magical kirtan artist, Krishna Das, and the Buddhist insights and teachings of Jack Kornfield, we feel we are in for quite a spiritual ride.


I know that in order to teach on this path of yoga delving deeply into my own practice is paramount. It refuels my tank, reminds me why I'm making the choices that I do and connects me to that quiet introspective self in the most profound way.  As my teacher, Judith Hanson Lasater has said, "We practice for our students and we teach for ourselves" which rings true as to why I'm stepping out of the teaching mode for a few days.


In preparing for this time away I have been brushing up on some reading by Ram Dass and one of the many things that has stuck like gum on a shoe is the perspective he takes about being with people. He talks about seeing people from his soul rather than from his ego.  It sounds so incredibly simple, yet when trying to practice this I have found myself noticing how frequently my ego thinks it is in charge. It's getting easier to recognize when I'm seeing with my ego (which seems to be most of the time) as I'm quick to jump to assumptions and judgments.  I have more of a right/wrong attitude. I'm beginning to more easily notice my prejudices and opinions.


I'm hoping that in the noticing a shift will begin to take root. Rather than staying in the familiar holding pattern of all of my thoughts and behaviors, the potential to soften becomes more tangible. This is a challenging and worthy practice for all of us seeking more connection, peace and compassion.  When you first come into contact with someone see if you can tap into your heart space and try to see them from the perspective of your deepest inner self. Look at them as a mother looks at a newborn and see if you can feel the slightest change of how you see that person.  Step out of the ego driven thought and lead with the heart.  As Judith Lasater says, "to see others with soft eyes".


Simply thinking about this literally warms my heart.  As we are only a few days away from Thanksgiving, it's the perfect time to practice. At the very least my awareness has changed and now it's all about staying committed to the action of doing.  My hope is that by sitting with a master of seeing from the soul, Ram Dass will infuse it more deeply into my being.


And for that I hold only gratitude.