Fur Pools

"Curving back within myself, I create again and again and again." --Upanishads

The railing of the deck at the lake house is the exclusive domain of the squirrels. All day long they dance, leap and run along its perimeter using it as a super highway to get from one end of the woods to the other. When the sun gets up beyond the shelter of the trees, it bathes the deck and railing in hot sunshine and it is then I most often find my little friends semi-comatose on the railing as they bask in the heat it produces. I read somewhere that they do it to kill off the wide assortment of mites and pesky biters that inhabit their fur. Whatever the reason, as you can see from the faces of these guys, they are serious about it. Every time I catch them snoozing, I have to smile. Their bodies are so relaxed they look like melted fur just about to ooze off the railing onto the deck. Look at the one on the right, his eyes are practically rolled back in head….

Squirrels lead a pretty frenetic life. They are constantly on the move, getting into things, investigating, running around, chasing and tussling (remember that word?) with each other, leaping from tree tip to tree tip, trying to chew or eat most things in their path. Sound like anyone you know?!

We get so little rest ourselves. When was the last time you were able to lay down and melt into a dreamy stupor? We lead squirrel lives don't we? Except unlike our furry little mirrors, we don't take time out to recharge ourselves on a regular basis. I read somewhere that Americans are among the most sleep deprived people on earth. Somehow the enormous leisure time made available to us by the creation of technology has instead mired us into an attitude of always being 'on'. When we plan our daily agendas we no longer include any time for rest but book ourselves to the limit. If we manage to complete our lists, then we automatically jump ahead to what we can do that was on the list for tomorrow. Summer doesn't signal a slowdown anymore, not even for our children. We have even developed a subtle disdain for those individuals or cultures who incorporate a daily siesta or practice a more moderate pace, considering them less productive or sophisticated. In our dismissal, we overlook the gift.

Rest is full of blessings. Not only does it recharge our batteries, it gives us the equally powerful experience of time with ourselves; to borrow the ad slogan 'the pause that refreshes' means more than physical renewal. Perhaps the biggest gift of rest is that is allows us to reconnect with what David Richo calls our 'lively energy'; that part of us that is our "ever-accessible enthusiasm, free speech and irrepressible delight." Pursuing our life mindlessly, at the expense of our bodies and spirits deludes us into believing there is only a finite amount of this available and we have to get what we can of it before it runs out. There is nothing further from the truth. There is an endless
pouring forth of a nurturing life force. The world we live in is built of abundance. Somewhere along the way we have forgotten this. When we allow ourselves to pause, to rest, we are able to access this life source. Our resting bodies set the physical stage that invites our frazzled minds to quiet with our breath and our shuttered hearts the time to risk opening. Our bodies are so long suffering, aren't they? We can work them to exhaustion, starve them, over stimulate them, eat too much, drink too much, pop too many pills, consider them unlovely and unacceptable and until they reach the breaking point, they will struggle to get up with us each morning, willing to take more of whatever we dish out. They are our first true friend. Our bodies want to be with us. Ever think about it that way?

Take another look at these little furry guys. Look at how relaxed they are. Sure, they are not us, but are they? Are our incredibly complex lives much different? We all have endless responsibilities. We can all, always think of excuses not to let go of our tightly held agendas. But at what cost? Rest is the invitation to the deeper, real world--the world of feelings, thoughts, dreams, ideas, inspiration. When we slow down and invite our bodies to replenish, we are also inviting our minds and spirits to do the same. We are showing our love and respect for ourselves as well as for the lives we lead and the world we live in. It affirms that we know there is a way of being in the world that is more than deadlines, lists and schedules and sidestepping exhaustion. Resting ourselves demonstrates our understanding there exists a great well of renewal , deep and cool, and that it is as necessary to living as the air we breathe.

Summer is almost over. Think about it.