Unconditional Friendliness
Unconditional Friendliness
And the Tao // 11.28.22
Monday Mettā
A new + beautiful way to experience Mondays
I breathe in unconditional friendliness.
Inhale, repeat the statement, exhale. Do this twice more. Breathe in unconditional friendliness.
For more on today’s mettā, join me halfway through this newsletter for my thoughts.
✨
So glad you’re here.
Intuitive Tarot Card Reading
Use your intuition to guide you to a specific card below. Choose the card with the crystal on it that calls to you.At the end of this newsletter, you’ll see the cards flipped over, with a reading for each one. The card that you choose here will have your reading for the week.
Card 1: Chrysoprase Choose this card if you need a message for the heart.
Card 2: Jasper Choose this card if you’re starting something new and would like some courage.
Card 3: Onyx Choose this card if you’re looking to turn negativity into positivity.
Wait to scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter until you’ve chosen your card!
Yoga Classes:
Follow this link to book a 1/2 hour yoga (or breathing, or meditation, or all of the above) with me. You can book a class almost instantly, or weeks in advance. It’s all up to you.
See you on the mat!
Holding my regular yoga classes until the end of the year ($15, 45 minutes, drop in):
Tuesdays at noon (flow)
Wednesdays at 5:30 (yin)
In January and beyond ($15, 45 minutes, drop in):
Mondays at noon (flow with yin elements)
*Email me for the Zoom link or if you have any questions!
📚Rachel’s Recommendations
On the advice of a friend, I recently picked up Taking the Leap by Pema Chödrön. Its subtitle, “Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears,” was certainly helpful but I was more interested in her observations on emotional equanimity and the idea that life is simply a series of events that challenge us to react neutrally. After much discussion of how to deal with big feelings (a quick pause and three deep breaths is a great start), Pema writes:
Unconsciously we expect that if we could just get the right job, the right partner, the right something, our lives would run smoothly. When anything unexpected or not to our liking happens, we think something has gone wrong. Even at the most mundane level, we get so easily triggered--someone cuts in front of us, we get seasonal allergies, our favorite restaurant is closed when we arrive for diner. We are never encouraged to experience the ebb and flow of our moods, of our health, of the weather, of outer events--pleasant and unpleasant--in their fullness. Instead we stay caught in a fearful, narrow holding pattern of avoiding any pain and continually seeking comfort. This is the universal dilemma.
I can not tell you how many times I’ve woken up with a headache and decided SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG. I either blame myself (I ate too much sugar, I didn’t get enough rest, I am too stressed) or I blame the natural world (the air pressure, hormones, or just that it’s [insert season, month, temperature here]). I get so stuck on what must be going wrong that I work myself up. I refuse to accept that I simply… have a headache. I forget to take good care of myself. Instead, I am in the midst of a disaster.
This universal dilemma, Pema says, is that as humans, we are wired to be triggered by everything. Unless we close ourselves off to the entire world, we will have to work to know peace. Peace that doesn’t crumble “as soon as there is difficulty or chaos.” This peace is not an “experience free of challenges.” This peace is the foundation for detached, neutral, unconditional openness and curiosity. (She refers to maitri—mettā—as Step One of this unconditional openness. Unlimited friendliness and trust in oneself is where this foundation begins.)
As a nice counterpart, I have been making my way through my second reading of the Tao Te Ching, this time using the annotated version by Derek Lin. Chapter 56 states, in part:
Close the mouth Shut the doors Blunt the sharpness Unravel the knots Dim the glare Mix the dust This is called Mystic Oneness
Derek, in his annotations, clarifies that mix the dust means to stay immersed in the material world. Instead of becoming a meditative hermit, Taoism asks one to cultivate “mystic oneness” within the world by staying present with all of life’s challenges. Listen more than you speak. Become aware of temptations. Do not sport arrogance as a personality. Communicate with others directly and simply. Be humble. And don’t hide away from the rest of the world. Mix the dust.
(I also enjoyed that both texts point to humor as a way to cultivate this neutrality, detachment, and openness.)
So the next time you find yourself coexisting with an emotion or experience that disturbs your peace, try this:
Pause and take three deep breaths
Become open and curious about the emotion
If available, find humor in the situation
Stay present. Don’t tell yourself stories. Decide how to act (or not to act) by staying present.
And, longterm, continue your mettā or maitri practice. Cultivate unlimited and unconditional self- loving friendliness.
Anyway, I recommend both of these books :)
With Gratitude,
There are three beautiful ways you can support my work writing and teaching!
Make a micro-donation, either through Buy Me a Coffee (or in my case, a love note), or after you’ve listened to one of my meditations on Insight Timer.
Book a personalized yoga class or contact me for a Tarot or Akashic Records reading.
Forward this newsletter on to anyone who might want a little love! Ask them to subscribe! Tell them you love them!
Thank you thank you!
Much love and gratitude,
Rachel xo
PS- I love hearing about the cards you pick and your related experiences. Please email me or comment below to share what came up from your card reading this week🔮
Your Tarot Reading, Revealed!
Card 1: Chrysoprase // The Moon
Ah, love. Ah The Moon card. It’s known as the most mysterious, deep, and intense card. It’s my absolute favorite. What is even going on here?! Lots. But we’ll focus in on the heart. Right now, emotions around love (and self love) are intensifying and might feel really muddled. Clarity is important, but sometimes it’s also important to muddle your way through without knowing how it all will end. There’s a path in front of you—take it— but be aware that it comes with some darkness and confusion. As you walk it, your purpose will become clear. Don’t be afraid of the mess, pay attention to how you feel throughout, and trust in your intuition and guidance to get you to the other side.
Card 2: Jasper // The Sun
What an absolutely lovely message for beginnings and the courage to start something new. I attach colors to letters and words, and for me, courage is yellow. And look at this gorgeous card with all that yellow, with the hope and promise of the sunflowers. But the big message here is that baby sun in the center. Treat whatever it is you’re going into with childlike wonder and amazement. Remember the awe of being a child. This openness will bring you great energy, abundance, and yes, courage!
Card 3: Onyx // Judgement
What you perceive as negative is only so because of your own self-judgement (or the judgement of others). See if you can look at your negative thought or experience with neutrality. With openness. With interest. Try to gauge what happened and how you feel about it with objective curiosity. Write down the event as if you watched it happen from above. From there, pick out elements that neutralize your negative feelings. Perhaps this was a teaching moment, or a challenge that you were able to handle with grace. Perhaps you did nothing and that in and of itself was a win. Perhaps it doesn’t look or feel as bad from above.
✨intuitive tarot inspired by Sarah Greenman, who was in turn inspired by Chris Corsini, because inspiration is contagious✨