These three words hold tremendous power.
Say them to yourself. How do you feel? Do you feel free? If not, become curious about what you feel tethered too and why. Or perhaps what or whom you feel committed to, obligated to, or should do.
Where do these ideas and thoughts come from? Your family ancestral traditions? Your culture? Social groups? Your partner? Your own mind?
If you sit quietly, breath, and sit with this question you may be surprised at what you discover. I would encourage you to become curious, stay open, and receive what comes forward.
When I first started practicing Zen Buddhism, my teacher looked at me and said very simply and straightforwardly – “You are free.” I was in a receiptive place in my life to receive those words and they made a lasting impact. In fact, they sparked a cascade of events in my late 20s that served as the foundation for leaving a successful business, selling a home and car, leaving a partnership, and moving to a rural mountainside to train in Zen Buddhism for 5 years.
I felt free. Free to do anything. Free of labels and cultural norms. It was liberating.
Most importantly, I felt alive. As if I was waking up from a long hibernation, and suddenly I could express my true nature and live a life in accord with my inner most request.
The feeling of aliveness. Feeling the 30 trillion cells in my body dance. This is what I had been searching for. Do you have this experience?
As I write this, I’m in a slightly different place in my life, and I’m not feeling that same freedom and sense of aliveness. For myself and others, I want to explore this again.
Interconnected Nature – A Foundation of Zen
We are not separate from our environments.
Our context not only influences our lives, it is our life. Thus to make a dramatic change while remaining in the same context is extremely difficult. This is an important realization. True shifts and insights often need a new context to root, grow, and blossom.
To explore this topic, I find it helpful to remind oneself of what it means to truly be free.
From this freedom comes liberation and aliveness, as well as a deeper connection to the earth and our own true nature. This then radiates out into the world and is expressed through our relationships, work in the world, and simply the way we move and explore our lives.
I would encourage you to feel (not think) into each of these. Do they feel true to you? If not, inquire into why. Sitting quietly in meditation can be supportive as you explore what resonates with you.
Using the Turning Words: You Are Free
Folded into this practice is both the mental posture and how we say yes or no to something.
When we say no to something, we are saying yes to something else.
When you mindfully pause to notice this at the time of a (large or small) decision, it can shift your view and feelings about the decision. It’s also particularly supportive at times of indecision. You can ask yourself, “if I say no to this, then what am I saying yes to?” For example, if you decline a social visit because you are fatigued, then you are also saying yes to listening to and taking care of your body.
A few gentle reminders to close…
You are free to express your true feelings.
You are free to say no to anything or anyone.
You are free to choose how you want to live in the world.
The Fourth Trimester