Whether we are creatives, musicians, running businesses, doctors, teachers, scientists, builders, clerks, writers or otherwise, devotion plays a role when we bring our best forward. Devotion here is defined as reverence.
“Just as the sun’s rays vivify everything living, so does reverence in the student vivify all feelings of the soul.” Rudolf Steiner
Each moment spent in that state of respect is felt through all we do. How may we cultivate devotion daily?
Moving intentionally. Sitting quietly. Communicating slowly. Noting when we interrupt, and when we gracefully navigate our interactions. Granting unexpected kindnesses. Arranging ourselves with abundance in our thinking, and our loving. Orienting ourselves toward daily ritual until reverence becomes the only offering we make to ourselves, even when we falter. Remembering to respect even in the face of disrespect, until respect becomes all we offer everyone, every time, everywhere.
And what if those around us seem less than reverent? Our work is to hold to our own internal devotion. This is why we keep up our practices – to keep reminders of reverence nearby, so when doubt enters our environment (our own or another’s), we can hold the space naturally and effectively until the doubt dissipates.
The best example; last week I had the privilege of offering yoga en Français to 1500 yogis dressed in white under the Eiffel Tower, for the first International Day of Yoga [thank you Lolë for this indescribable experience]. For the first time in such a large setting, when I doubted myself, I didn’t just keep talking until it passed; I took several moments of quiet for us all, and offered silent reverence to soften my fears. In those moments, we all shared a spark of devotion that had no language, no country.
May our reverence keep showing us who we are.
Dear Elena,
your posts are always a treat – vibrating, full of thought, and I am so happy when there is a new one!
Thank you.
i love the sentence of rudolf steiner! great article, thanks!
“Our work is to hold to our own internal devotion.” This is the hard work, the silent work, the internal struggle. It is the aspect of devotion that we think goes unseen by the outside world, but it is in the struggles, in the turbulence, when we find balance, equanimity, that our internal devotion shines brightest – naturally, effectively. Thank you Elena for this quick reminder of why we work so hard.