I remember as a child pointing in the air and someone saying to me, “Don’t poke holes in the air, the seagulls might trip over.”
I was recently reminded of this during an online Esoteric Yoga session. I have found that Esoteric Yoga sessions can really support me to build a relationship with my body and to reconnect to the natural stillness that exists within – a must for my busy lifestyle.
This yoga session happened to take place in my car as I was in between meetings, so I had pulled over to a quiet spot facing the beach, pulled out my laptop and completed the session by Skype with an Esoteric Yoga practitioner.
So here I was in my car, and as I was a bit caught up in the momentum of the day, I found myself talking really fast. The practitioner asked me to close my eyes and supported me to re-connect to my body, feeling my feet, my ankles, my legs, my buttocks on the seat, my back, my shoulders and neck, and then my head.
Within minutes I could feel the racy momentum I had been in drop away. I slowly connected to being with my body and the world around me expanded.
The practitioner then asked me to put my seat belt on, while holding the quality that I had just established in my body. It was like chalk and cheese compared to how I would normally put my seat belt on.
As I completed this gentle movement, that saying came back to me and I got that we can move in sync with the world, or we can move against it.
I found myself doing a very familiar movement that felt in sync in the world – which was a rarity because I normally don’t do it in sync; one could say I had made quite a few holes in the air!
My normal mode is usually one with very little conscious presence, in autopilot, and quite often I rush the ‘house leaving’ or ‘car starting’ part of my day. If my childhood saying was true, I would be “poking a lot of holes in the air,” and for sure, the seagulls in my neighbourhood would be on crutches more often than not!
But not this time: the energetic quality that I had established meant that I put my seatbelt on with such ease, one could even say with grace, and definitely it was in flow with the world. I don’t think the seagulls would have even batted an eyelid!
So continuing with this hole theory, have you ever watched someone in high emotion walk into a room – did you notice that a disturbance can be felt, ripples can be made, and that holes could be created?
I remember when a good friend of mine was dying. We were surrounding his bed during his final days, and I watched the effect of how different nurses would enter the room. Some would enter, take in the mood of the room, be in sync with what was going on and go about their duties. They graced the room. Others did not do that; they almost barged in and did what they had to do, then barged out again, leaving an out-of-sync feeling in the room.
I was then filled with a deep appreciation for Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine practitioners and modalities because they are inspiring so many people to look at the energetic quality in which they are living their lives.
We all do trillions of activities throughout our lifetimes, but how often do we stop and look at how we are doing it – what energetic quality and what impact are we having on the world around us?
It is not what we do, but it is how we do it. Do we stop and ask ourselves ‘how’ do we talk to ourselves and to each other? How do we walk into a room? How do we put the bins out? How do we send an email? How do we hold ourselves at work? How do we do the dishes? How do we put ourselves to sleep? How do we respond to critique?
These are good questions to be asking ourselves and I have found the presentations and healing modalities of Universal Medicine certainly help me to understand energy and what quality I undertake many activities in.
Are we creating holes or are we maintaining the natural rhythm and flow of the world around us?
I appreciate that I now have a new marker as to how to put my seatbelt on – I might not remember every time but it is there.
Showing me how to put fewer holes in the air!
By Sarah Flenley, Woman and keen observer of life, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia
Related Reading:
Knowing Yourself by your Quality First
Connection to Self through Conscious Presence
Mental Awareness V Conscious Presence
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
‘Are we creating holes or are we maintaining the natural rhythm and flow of the world around us?’ This is such a telling line. If I’m creating holes I’m creating gaps where what’s not wanted can get in – a little like tooth decay!
Moving with grace and presence feels lovely in your own body but you can also feel that you are no longer poking holes in the sky (or creating ripples of disharmony around you). Feeling at one with your environment is very humbling as you realise the enormity that you are part of.
In this world we live in, a world we move through in our day we have a choice in every moment: “we can move in sync with the world, or we can move against it.” If we move in harmony with the world we cannot but leave a trail of harmony as we move for those who follow. But if we choose to move in total disconnection to this natural harmony, and to ourselves, there will only be one outcome, a lot of holes for those who follow, whether seagulls or not, to trip over and probably fall into. It’s always our responsibility as to what we leave behind us.
The way we move reflects the quality of energy we are aligning to, impacting the quality of presence we live with and bring to every moment and every interaction we have in the world, and also determines the quality of our imprints.
What impact are we having on the world, what is the quality of our energy, ‘We all do trillions of activities throughout our lifetimes, but how often do we stop and look at how we are doing it – what energetic quality and what impact are we having on the world around us?’
I love your example showing how practical Esoteric Yoga truly is, it is ‘playing with our movements’ in every day life, to be aware of our body and the flow it works in and with and how graceful this can be for all of us.
And Esoteric Yoga can be practised pretty much anywhere as Sarah’s example was whilst she had stopped her car and pulled over in a quiet spot, ‘Within minutes I could feel the racy momentum I had been in drop away. I slowly connected to being with my body and the world around me expanded.’
Moving in tune with the vibration of the Universe can be felt in the particles of the body.
When you tune into it, the difference is starkly felt in our bodies of when we move in sync with the world, and when we move against it. I think a lot of the reasons why we over-eat/drink and over-do things is to relieve ourselves of the tension of moving against the world.
It’s an enormous tension to be disconnected from ourselves, and to not be harmonious with our own being or body. We are literally at war with ourselves… a tension then compounded by being out of sync with everyone else as an individual, and not an equal part of the oneness.
Moving in Sync with the world or moving against it – this is such a needed reminder, just like the esoteric yoga session how our connection and our body is essential for the quality of our movements. It is so tempting to play ball with what is happening all around us and ignore this connection with in. Thanks Sarah.
What a beautiful reminder of how simple it is to reconnect and how life changing that choice can be.
When we connect and move in stillness everyone and everything around us is blessed by our presence and quality.
Simple, true, and so beautiful when we connect and move in stillness Anna.
The HOW we go about life is far more powerful than the what we do in life. Reading this was a great reminder and one thing that came to me was “How do I put my shoes on?” something to explore there. Thank you Sarah.
Yes, the quality rather than the quantity lays a foundation that will feed us back when we stray too far away from it, because the quality that has been felt in the body brings ease and the quantity without the quality feeds a constant unsettlement.
How and why do we do what we do, ‘It is not what we do, but it is how we do it. Do we stop and ask ourselves ‘how’ do we talk to ourselves and to each other? How do we walk into a room? How do we put the bins out? How do we send an email? How do we hold ourselves at work? How do we do the dishes? How do we put ourselves to sleep? How do we respond to critique?’
‘It is not what we do, but it is how we do it’ – is paramount in everything we do. This questions needs to be asked everyday, in every moment, with everything we do or be.
Haha this does make me laugh because imagine if seagulls did indeed trip over when we impose and make harsh ripples of energy in our movements. There would be birds falling out of the sky all the time!
ALL the time Joshua 🙂
Imagine if people stopped ignoring the fact that such ripples are disturbing and did something. Or do we already but having put the cause and effect together in this way?
This ‘autopilot’ is something most people including I are living in this world. And when I’ve found myself present in my body I can feel when someone isn’t, it is quite jarring. There is no perfection but I know when I am in autopilot, my body feels completely wiped out and if there is the opportunity, I either need to lie down or do something to bring me back to me. There is much to ponder on about what is written in this blog – thanks for the gold Sarah.
“Don’t poke holes in the air, the seagulls might trip over” is such a beautifully bizarre image that it gloriously captures the impact when we are out of sync with the world.
Esoteric yoga is an amazing tool to set standards on how to be in the body. Yet, we have say yes to what it offers in full.
Just loving the idea of ‘Car Yoga’ sessions – I am sure you’ve started a trend here Sarah. But what a great example of the flexibility of Esoteric Yoga, yoga you can do anywhere at any time; no temple required, no incense burning, not even a yoga mat needed, just you in your full presence. … all the seagulls in the area flying safely in perfect harmony.
When we are aware of how someone can grace the room with the way they enter it becomes clear that the way we move is felt by everyone.
“Do we stop and ask ourselves ‘how’ do we talk to ourselves and to each other?”. The more and more I explore this, the more and more I realise that the way we talk and are with ourselves is either harming or healing. And when we are harming, that is having a devastating impact on the world. I know that when you eat something that is not right/good for you, it has an effect (feel bloated, tired, gassy, put on weight etc…). Well so does saying/thinking something that is not right/good for you. It is incredible harming what we put into our bodies in way of unkind thoughts/speech, I am beginning to get that it is actually way worse than what we physically put in (food/drink). Because we put it in (thinking etc…) and then we walk that around – in our homes, in our workplaces, in our communities. We walk around ‘i’m not good enough’, ‘i need to do more’, ‘does that person like me, am I worth liking’ etc…..there are trillions of these thoughts currently being walked around our world. Would that not have more of an effect than climate change?
Brilliant observation Sarah …no wonder we get exhausted and low when we continue to carry all those statements, that become beliefs, around with us. We could shake them off like a dog shakes water off when it comes out of the pond or the sea and bound about as they do unencumbered by these belittling and totally disempowering thoughts. We do not have to stay in the misery because at every turn we are given opportunities to rid ourselves of it….more often than not it is a matter of saying yes.
When we appreciate that every movement we make is a direct reflection of how we are with ourselves, the quality of our livingness, we realise that it is our responsibility to raise our quality and live in a way that keeps our movements consistent, without allowing ourselves to get out of step with the quality we truly know.
Greatly shared, thank you. A beauty that is in the words and quality described.. an ease, that is which is the quality of movement where we can connect to and live from – every day more and more.
This is a great example of the impact of our movements and a stop moment to appreciate what we offer when we walk into a room. Every movement is clocked, be it in excessive motion or exquisite stillness. All is our responsibility as to what we offer.
As I head out to work this morning I am definitely going to be taking these words with me. “we can move in sync with the world, or we can move against it.” Working with children of all ages is certainly a great learning ground at the best of times but today I am going to be as aware as possible if the day flows more smoothly when I am in sync with what is unfolding around me. I love how life is the never ending classroom.
Thank you Sarah, this is a timely reminder of bringing more conscious presence to all that I do. It is so obvious when someone is out of sync but to look more deeply at how we are moving in each moment is so important.
There is a one movement that we can all be in harmony with, or we can choose our own movements and all bump around in the world.
For that bumpy ride can feel both awkward and quite unnecessarily painful.
When we stop to feel the impact our movements have on others (as per the example of the nurses coming in and out) we start to understand that everything is connected and that we are only pretending that we are not hurting others by our emotions and movements when we bully our way through life.
Moving in sync with the world, in sync with the flow that is there is such an extraordinary feeling. It is what poets of old wrote about, people waxed lyrical about it, and yet it is there for everyone to experience
“It is not what we do, but it is how we do it. Do we stop and ask ourselves ‘how’ do we talk to ourselves and to each other? How do we walk into a room?” so true to note all this about ourselves Sarah, and equally the same it’s also not the words we’re using either or even our delivery of them per se, but instead having a level of attention towards specifically the energetic quality of what comes from us, knowing that that quality of what’s within us is having a direct effect on others either beneficially or otherwise the reverse.
“Are we creating holes or are we maintaining the natural rhythm and flow of the world around us?”.. the perforations, punctures, holes, are such a great way to look at our quality and the ‘image’ brings responsibility to what we’re doing in the space around us.. definitely you can feel jaggedness when there is emotion, and also the graceful beauty when there is a flowing glide of harmony.
Its also interesting watch the energy at play in a room and how we all curtail to it, enjoin it, It can be challenging if how you are does not fit into the mould of this, it stands out and it is noticed and is often misinterpreted as being personal, when it has nothing at all to do with the person, but what is needed at the time. When we interpret things as personal we are caught in our own reaction to an event rather than feeling the grander offerings being made in life.
How we are in every moment not only affects us but those around us – thank you Sarah for this beautiful reminder!
The moment we actually stop and let ourselves feel the body, we actually get offered an opportunity to clock how racy or off we can be and this in itself, though unpleasant to feel, is actually super powerful as it allows us to then know and make choices from there that are different, that allow the natural pulse of the body to return.
I simply love the fact that Esoteric Yoga is a portable modality; you don’t need a healing room to do it, you can, as you have so beautifully demonstrated, do it anywhere even in a car. It is my go to wherever I am, when I feel that I am not connected to me. A few gentle moves and it doesn’t take long before I am back with me 100% and the seagulls are safe once again!
A great consideration that everything we do matters and the quality we bring to ourselves is shared with all others.
I have found that Esoteric Yoga sessions can really support me to build a relationship with my body and to reconnect to the natural stillness that exists within – a must for my busy lifestyle.” I so agree Sarah. Recently I was caught up in some wild fires and my Esoteric Yoga practice supported me to stay calm and open and reflected this out to others, who later appreciated that fact.
How do we do what we do, in everything that we do,as everything is everything and in what quality is all of our doings being done. I am again reminded today that the quality I am in is what is reflected out to the world.
Great to return to this today, and be reminded of what I wrote :-). Last night I did an activity that was all about the output and I was not taking in the quality of the energy that I was doing it in. Gosh it felt a bit foul as I was quite stressed doing it. I would have poked quite a few holes in the air! This is a timely reminder that I do know stillness and harmony, and a call to return to putting quality before quantity!
Yes the beauty of having markers in the body is they are always there for us to return to. I also find it is amazing the wealth that flows through us when we are connected to the quality of stillness within.
Its like the saying ‘less is more’ although in truth there is no less, only seemingly. There is much more that we can explore in quality and what this means to how we live and our choices and the effect of this throughout day and life and it is something that we can choose.
It really is amazing to feel the power of our stillness expand through the body, and feel the quality of that essence re-establish its presence – there is nothing like it. When we move in connection to this we are moving in the graceful power of who we are, rather than with the imposing force of who we are not.
It’s quite amazing to consider the effect and quality of our every little movement we make in a day and how that movement can in turn effect another. A very cool blog indeed thank you Sarah.
When we do feel and flow with the natural rhythms of the world it is like a fast track to interconnectedness
Introducing a different quality to what already is around would no doubt cause disturbance – maybe this is why many of us are so good at enjoining and following others – to avoid any reaction?
When I focus on the quality of my movements and not being in the ‘busyness’ of life, I can feel I am in the flow of life and am in harmony with everything around me. Thank you Sarah for this beautiful reminder.
There is an natural flow, a resonance and a rhythm that is all around us and within us. And we simply have to listen to be a part of this extraordinary flow
I can feel the ‘music’ in that comment Chris. I also feel the same, there is a vibration that has a natural rhythm and flow and when we are connected we move with it.
How often do we move in sync with the world, in harmony with all those around us? How often are we so focused on the task at hand that we forget ourselves or those around us and are just keen to get the ‘job’ done? I am certainly learning that life can get away on me in that way, if I do not pay more attention! And so it is about me bringing more of ‘me’ into what I do – such as the simple act of going to the toilet when I need it rather than waiting till a task is completed (and then feeling like I am tied in knots trying to get things done fast, whilst holding tight in my muscles!) – something like this is a simple example of the ways that we do not work in line with natural ways, and hence can get racy and do things in abrupt ways! Of course at times we do have to wait a little while to go (to the toilet for example), but if the intent is to go as soon as is possible, the body responds accordingly and we are listening to all aspects – those around us as well as ourselves, and this does bring more harmony overall.
Great question Henrietta. There is so much more of life, the world, each other, and ourselves for that matter, that we could be living and moving more harmoniously with. Our bodies certainly are the key to being guided as to how harmonious are movements are in any moment. As such it is wise move to develop a loving and honoring relationship with this incredible vessel and intelligence we all have on hand.
” we can move in sync with the world, or we can move against it.”This is an important teaching and can be verified by seagulls or any other bird in flight , they move with the energy of the wind , they do not fight it .They flow and move effortlessly , this is also available to us humans by synchronising with the energy of our true source , not what the outside world wants of us.
Becoming aware of the energetic quality of people allows us to develop true power of observation; one that does not play ball with what appears to be at the surface.
‘We can move in sync with the world or we can move against it.’ This really struck home to me today. Having had a headache for three days and nights, today, with the support of a friend I reconnected with my body. I had constantly been in my head ‘trying’ to fix my head. Once I returned to my body and moved with it – with the world – my symptoms changed. Being in yoga, rather than doing yoga.
‘we can move in sync with the world, or we can move against it’ . The anxiety in which sometimes we move is very draining. It’s always much simpler to stop, come back to ourselves and move again in sync with us and everything
What I love about this blog on Esoteric Yoga is the practicality of movement – how we can make movement of a quality that brings integrity to the body (no holes). It’s real, practical, very ‘everyday’, and shows us the way out of that momentum.
It is really lovely to feel and observe the drop in tension as you gradually come back to yourself throughout an Esoteric Yoga session. However if we do find there is an easing of the tension at the start, we really need to be looking at why we are running our bodies like that. A session is only one hour – the way we live is affecting our health and wellbeing the rest of the day.