The Art of Traveling Light….

The Art of Traveling Light…. 

Often, on a holiday we pack everything, we think we might need.  At the end of the holiday we feel, oh I didn’t wear or use this, that and the other.   We vow to ourselves that we will not over pack next time.  So then next time comes a long and we conclude that was better, but I still didn’t wear or use everything.  We get tired of packing, unpacking and washing and ironing.  We declare not again and promise our self that we will travel light!

At Raja Yoga Meditation we use eight powers (or you could call them tools) to help with life’s challenges and to advance in the practise of meditation. One of the powers/tools is called the ‘Power to Pack Up’.   It is effectively the power to let go of the past, the pain, the hurts, and to live in the present by not being held back by the past, and to only carry forward lessons that are useful from the past. 

For Example.  To accept another person, even if they hurt us; why?   So that we don’t fix our mind, thoughts and feelings to a situation or a person’s from the past.  Ensuring we do not get stuck like a broken record.  

Most, people are changing all the time and if I keep seeing them with the same eye of pain from twenty years ago, it is not fair to that person, as they would have changed in those 20 years. Even, if they haven’t changed, it is not good for me to hold negative thoughts towards them, because, I create a negative bondage between them and myself, which sucks all the positive energy out of me.  Additionally, I would not like it if another person saw me as I was 20 years ago, because I know I have changed!     Holding on to past pains is not helpful in our life, it stops us living in the present. 

Even if our life is good, we never smile a full smile.   The power to pack up is to recognise the damage caused by such feeling, and we begin to understand how much time is being wasted in being negative and stuck. That time could be used for more positive activities, and things that bring a smile to my face and others. Negativity, keeps us stuck.

No one has the right to do wrong, not even if a wrong has been done to them.  – Victor E Frankl

The ‘Power to Pack up’  is to learn to let the past be the past,  let go immediately, live in the present, and don’t let your Soul be weighed down by negative and wasteful thoughts.   Negative and wasteful thoughts stop me from reaching my highest potential. Negativity leaves me weak and depleted.  Therefore, do not burdened yourself with past pains, fly free, live in the present and let go.  As you become free they become free and that bondage of pain is broken and your smile and happiness will return.

When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.  – Victor E Frankl

I would like to use another analogy; that of a ‘Nomad’ to help understand this power a bit more.  The possessions of a Nomad are literally the bare essentials.   I believe there is much to learn from them, to have enough possessions and no extra so that we can travel light and live light.  To live light means to remove physical clutter, emotional and mental clutter.  Because, any type of clutter is dead weight that keeps us locked and down.

To conclude, the Power to Pack is to travel light physically, emotionally and mentally. Only carry from the past that helps you in the future. Let go all the junk and dead weight and learn the ‘Art of Travelling Light Through Life”.

Therefore, let go of all the physical, emotional and mental clutter and live light.   It may seem hard to let go of pain in your life,  but, just think about it a little and ask yourself, is your life being enhanced by holding on to pain? By holding on to pain, all you do is remain stuck and cause physical and emotional illness. Therefore, be wise  don’t put yourself in the prison of pain, see the beauty that still remains and prove to yourself that you are strong and you can let go and forgive. 

I link here a beautiful meditation on Forgiveness here.    

As always here are a few poignant quotes on forgiveness, letting go and living freely. As we know the speaker of these thoughts have all been through personal hardships, yet just look how beautiful their mind is and how they have lived their life during the pain and after the pain.

We have to be strong in the face of hardship, we owe that to ourselves. We should have faith in our capacity to overcome.  Therefore, learn the art of living light and ditch all the clutter of life and travel only with love, peace, faith, and courage in your heart and Soul.

There is no point in holding on to pain as it pollutes your mind, and your health and you become a walking zombie. That is, in life you have everything, but there is no smile in your heart…..