Hidden in Plain Sight: Concealment and Revelation
It’s almost Halloween. And I’ve been thinking about the joy of concealment and revelation, as it pertains to Halloween and to Yoga.
When we dress up in a Halloween costume, we are concealing our true identity and trying on someone else’s for a time. It’s fun to go to a party and try to guess who all of your friends are. (It’s usually not too hard to figure it out!) It’s exciting to try on a persona/costume that is different from your usual self. It’s fun to get a different (although temporary) perspective on life.
In the big scheme of Kashmir Shaiva Tantra (which is the philosophy Ashaya Yoga is based on), they say that the Absolute partly conceals its true nature when it becomes manifest in the world. The true nature of the Absolute is that it is beyond form, beyond description, beyond all attributes. So, in order to experience itself, it must “cloak” or conceal that limitless-ness within physical boundaries. Basically, you are its Halloween costume. It delights in experiencing the world through your perspective. And every so often, you may catch a glimpse of your Absolute, limitless nature. In those moments, when you feel totally connected to spirit, or you feel at one with the universe, you are said to be experiencing “Chit Ananda,” or the joy of revelation.
Your yoga practice primes you for those Chit Ananda moments. Yoga helps you recognize and remember the Divine aspects of the self. When you chant OM, you are affirming that there is a cosmic vibration, of which you are a part. When you say “Namaste,” you acknowledge that the light in your heart is the same as the light in another’s heart- there is Unity. When you do different asanas, it’s like you are trying on different costumes- each pose has its own energy vibration associated with it, and you can feel how they differ and how they are similar. This cosmic vibration and unity is indeed the Absolute, present within each of us. Hidden in plain sight.
This year, Halloween is probably going to look very different from past years. I will probably spend the evening by myself, maybe reading a scary novel. I’m not expecting Trick-or-Treaters, and won’t be going to any Halloween parties over the weekend. But I will enjoy the spirit of the holiday- and maybe make myself some treats.
Click here for a recipe for raw vegan “brownies”, if you’d like to try them out. They’re really nothing like traditional brownies, but I think they’re quite enjoyable.
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Happy Halloween,
Cheryl
