Opening the Gates

The Abundant Yoga Project has launched. I have a fabulous Studio signed on, the schools are taking a peek (even with job action, GRATITUDE!), and I am sharing the idea of local and global abundance with any ears that will give me a few moments of their time. In essence, I have opened the gates. That opening brings joy, dedication, gratitude, humility, and fear. Even with service, or perhaps especially with service, you just don’t know what will come through the gate. That is part of the journey of growth. I have been hitting the mat even more to greet all of the emotional journeymen who are making their way through the seva gates. Fear has been the most interesting of late.

Fear. This shadow shows up in so many guises that just when you think you have gotten to know it, it surprises you. How much fear could possibly pop up in the context of working on a project to help other’s access to clean water and shelter? Answer: a whole bunch. Fear of "no one taking interest," ego fear of “failure,” fear of starting too late to make a difference, fear of not communicating well, fear of taking time away from my family, fear of finding time to give it my best effort…just plain old fear. I found myself floundering, allowing the fear to take hold. Fear is truly the great inhibitor. Distinct from healthy caution, fear is the irrational (but shockingly emotional) response that can lead us to freeze. As a doer, a go-getter, a multi-tasking dervish, the fear response stops me in my tracks.  That is when it is time to sit and breathe, acknowledge the fear, acknowledge what it may be teaching, then move forward.

My breakthrough moment was seeing enthusiasm for what I was creating mirrored in another. Seeing my work through their eyes, I took my fear to the mat and burned it away. If left unexamined, fear would be an indulgent emotion robbing the women of Haiti, and myself, of our abundance! The answer to the fear question became “I hear you and choose to act anyway.” My abundance and ability to share it became my mantra. Help others see their abundance, and share it. Directing my intention and gifts towards the service of others, I can and will create abundance in the world. If I share that vision with others, and we work toward the goal together, the positive effects are magnified exponentially. Fear has no hold in such clear light.

The best thing about fear is that it moves in waves and cycles. It is never as strong as you imagine, nor will it ever be gone forever. That is the beauty and the joy of life. Each day I hit the mat, open the gates, and get ready to greet what comes. With gratitude I see my abundance, and fear fades into sunset.