Photo by Diana Scalera
Recently, Kevin and I have been exploring. Participatory Spirituality. it reminded me of the blog Pause to be Love. It is a story of holding space with others in a way that leads us to experience a positive felt sense unexpectedly. Kevin McEcenue and I decided to start writing more about Whole Body Focusing when Particiatory Spiritual is present. It draws us into situations in which our interactions with others stimulate our our need for Participatory Spirituality.
Change Your Mind
The first day of Spring gave me a lovely present. In New York City, the weather was mild and sunny. It was a beautiful day to walk around my neighborhood.
I walked toward my favorite organic grocery store in the East Village when I came across an old school building. It was converted in 1980 into a performance art workshop operated by the artists.
I used to live across the street from this building and went to many avant-garde performances there. It was in a constant state of disrepair and construction then. A few years ago, the building underwent a $37 million gentrification makeover and was taken over by a prestigious art institution in NYC. I never even considered going inside. I felt that it was part of the general destruction of a neighborhood that was once cheap enough for anyone to live in and had supported a broad range of art and life.
Change Happens
As I walked by, I paused to be with this new incarnation of the building. There were inviting signs announcing some new performances, and I decided to go in. I spoke to the people at the front desk and learned that there was a multimedia exhibition open to the public on the political nature of cells. I spent some time with this exhibit. My favorite part was watching a video of the sun’s rays shining on the particles in the air we breathe. It was called “This Is Your Living Room.”
I also got a chance to use the bathroom there. It was gender neutral with multiple stalls. This new architectural adaptation felt right to me and was needed to reduce gender bias.
While I am sad that I may never see the likes of Penny Arcade’s outspoken rants or Bina Sharif’s insightful plays in this building again, I got a chance to see that there is something here that does support art and life.
Try a Little Kindness
When I got to the newly-opened organic grocery, I noticed a Latino man in his forties putting vegetables on the shelf. He looked familiar to me. As I paused with that sense of familiarity, I asked him if he had worked in a different grocery store in the neighborhood. He had, and said that the store had closed. I hadn’t seen him in years. What made me remember was his kindness. I felt delighted that he was now working in this new, well-run store and wished him well in his new job. I needed to pause, because I recognized someone with whom I rarely interacted, simply because his kindness was always so present.
Good Vibrations
As I walked back home, I realized I wanted to pick up a plant for my apartment. There is a fantastic store, EviFlorist, run by a family of Latin Americans who have in-depth knowledge and skill with plants. They also have a fabulous collection of gems and can help their customers select plants and crystals to enrich their lives.
The moment you are near the store, you feel the vibrational energy increase. There are so many plants and gems that every breath you take raises your own energy levels. The hyacinth drew my attention. It was just beginning to bloom. Wha talso attracted my attention were the crystals. I needed to bring this kind of energy into my life. I held the fist-sized Fluorite crystal in my hands to see which one had the strongest vibration for me. The Crystal made my hands vibrate up and down, I was sold.
Big Yellow Taxi
As I happily left the store with my purchases, I realized that I couldn’t carry the groceries, the plant, and the crystal all the way home, and I searched for a cab.
I have a sure-fire way to get a cab in NYC. Instead of using my cell phone, I sing a song to myself, inviting a cab driver to find me. Within 30 seconds, I was in a cab. The driver was a man who wore a Sikh turban. I noticed that he was stressed.
I let him know that I was grateful to him for finding me with all these packages and that I was not concerned with the traffic. He relaxed. I saw that he was a very young man who was struggling with the pressures of being a cab driver in NYC. By the time we got to my apartment, he finally noticed me. He eventually offered to help me with my bags, and we wished each other a good day.
When I was walking into my apartment building, I found a name for this experience—the Magical Mystery Tour. Equally important, I appreciated the pauses for Love with everyone I met that day.
Sister Hazel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y944YxuE1OU
Glenn Campbell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvswocNN-g8
Beach Boys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eab_beh07HU
Joni Mitchel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bdMSCdw20
