Dissolution

I took a drive up emigration canyon today. It was so beautiful. So much shri! All the leaves are now orange, red, and yellow. Some of the leaves are now starting to wilt, weather, crumble, and have fallen onto to the ground. This beauty of the seasons changing reminded me dissolution. Dissolution is one of the 5 acts of Shiva (I wrote about all 5 acts in more detail in http://authenticselfyoga.blogspot.com/2010/09/fall-equinox-five-divine-acts-of-shiva.html). Normally when I think about dissolution my first thought is something bad, that I am losing something, that something changing, that something is dying. I naturally contract around dissolution, resist the change. But seeing the beauty in natural that was a result of this change, reminded me of what I know deep deep in my heart. That change is good, all things will eventually wither and die, and we out of our freedom can choose how we can respond. We can choose to resist and contract around the change or we can open up to the change and allow the dissolution to help us shift in our life.

Seeing this dissolution inspired me to think deeply and honestly about what in my life is in the stage of dissolution. Like I said before I like to hold on to thing (this is one of the patterns I am trying to let go of). What habits are shifting (or have been shifting for a while) and are ready to dissolve out of my life. The leafs seem to shift through these changes with ease and beauty. However the patterns don’t dissolve so easily, something they take a lot of strength. I know I cling to things like a dead dread up leaf instead of having the strength to drop it to the ground and know that the dead leaf will be what helps me open more beautifully and fully.

I think that this act of dissolution is very softening. When we let go of habits, patterns, behaviors, and tendencies we soften and we become vulnerable (that is what I am realizing I struggle the most with, the vulnerability that comes with dropping some of these patterns I have cultivated for awhile). But when we become soft and vulnerable what blooms from us, blooms from such a deep place in the heart. The softness and vulnerability that went towards the cultivation of this opening is so big and so beautiful. When we allow our self to be open and from such a deep place the offering we make with our self, in our life can really touch people. It can really help us better serve the people and the planet.

Dissolution is just one part of the five acts of Shiva. After Dissolution comes concealment and the revelation. So as we let go and allow some the dissolution to happen come back to the heart and remember that a revelation is just around the corner

So I encourage you to think about what maybe dissolving in your life?