In A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle writes,
“Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
Wow. I must have re-read these words a dozen times. What really speaks to me is the word acknowledgement. One of the ways I acknowledge the abundance in my life is to write in my gratitude journal each night before going to bed. Typically, I write three to five things I am grateful for that day, but lately I haven’t been doing this and I am starting to feel the effects: When I don’t write in my journal, I feel contracted and tight, and I lack self-compassion and compassion toward others. I feel stuck.
One of the ways I try to get “unstuck” is to look back at some of my older journal entries. I am always curious to see what I wrote, how often, and how it affected me in other parts of my life. I came across entries from last year. It was almost one year ago today that I took a solo trip to Italy at Mandali Retreats, near Lago d’Orta. I used to live in Italy—in fact, I lived an hour away from the retreat centre—so, I was excited to go and see old friends and visit the places I used to call home. My journal entries during the trip were packed-full with things I was grateful for—from the smell of the meadow grass outside my window, to the new friendships I made at the retreat centre. I never once felt like I was lacking in anything. In fact, I felt full—full of abundance. You only need to take one look at the photos above and below to see how much abundance was around me—the trees, the birds, the mountain hills and the beautiful lake, seen 1000 metres below.
Tolle continues to write,
“The fact is: Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding from the world. You are withholding it because deep down you think you are small and that you have nothing to give”.
Typically, when we think of abundance, we think of receiving. Abundance also means giving. What you are giving out into the world. Your expansion. Your exhale. This is a beautiful concept to help shift our mindset from thinking small to thinking big—allowing us to see how big our worth is in this world. We all have something to give! We are all abundant! And you don’t need to travel to Italy to come to this realization—although I must admit, it helps!
When I returned from my trip to Mandali, I wrote a story about my experience during one of our meditation practices with Steve Cope. Months later, I shared the story with my students, by incorporating it into one of my Yoga Nidra classes. I humbly share my story with you now:
The room is almost perfectly square. Barely furnished, with a single, low cabinet at the front wall. The top of the cabinet holds a simple vase of flowers and a copper tray of unlit incense. The room glows buoyantly like the final embers in a dying fire. Two vertical windows to the left of the cabinet are slightly open, letting in the evening mountain air. The wall right of the cabinet is comprised almost entirely of glass. Sliding doors lead onto the Silent Terrace that overlooks Lake Orta, 900 metres below.
Inside, seven people sit cross-legged on the floor. Their bodies form a circle. At the centre of the circle, sits their teacher. All seven pairs of eyes are either closed or half-closed. All are sitting in complete silence. Each lost in their own thoughts. Each desperately trying to still their “monkey minds” and find peace in the present moment. Subtle movements are made, as they try to adjust their position. Allowing the wood-panelled floor beneath them to fully support their bodies. Some sit on dark red cushions made of flaxseed that crunch beneath their hips.
Sounds can be heard from the kitchen below. Low voices in Italian, speaking quickly, as they finish cleaning up after the dinner rush. A single, sharp noise can be heard from outside of one of the two windows. A bird? A goat from the nearby farm? It begins to rain. The rhythmic sound it makes against the wooden shutters are comforting. In the distance the wind begins to make an appearance and the sound of its gusts can now be clearly heard.
The faintest smell of a previously burned stick of incense can be detected inside of the room. The smell of the rain outside is strong as it hits the grassy field and dirt road. The fragrance of the earth is unmistakable. Tasting it as you inhale deeply and feeling grateful and blessed as you exhale completely.
I would like to express my gratitude and love to @mandali.org. Since closing their doors this year due to COVID-19, they offer beautiful online practices such as; morning meditations, evening yoga nidra, and kirtan. If you are interested, see their website for all the classes offered. ⚡
With love and gratitude,
Allison
