Pulling the curtains closed on the main level of the house, the canvas black with red, yellow and green flowers scrolling over the fabric. The living room darkens and feels like the fall when the weather cools and things grow a little more quiet outside. I flip on the flame to the fake fireplace and adjust the pillows on the couch to settle in. Finnegan takes his queue and flops down on the rug by Levi’s feet. Pretty soon the timers on my candles will click on and the cozy scene will be set to watch a movie.
We don’t do this a lot in the summer, but its been an odd couple weeks and we are hoping to change the energy. Sometimes tucking in for an evening is just what we need to change it. Much like how your yoga teacher tries to create a calming atmosphere in your class, extending that to the home can make an impact.
Samkhya philosophy describes the basic element of ether as the space we take up beyond our own physical space. Think about how you can sense the shift in your home when other people are present, or the feel of someone standing a little too close, etc. Ether can also describe the feeling you get when your community is impacted-so this concept can become very broad and overwhelming the bigger you feel it.
When a person is drained, sometimes shifting the energy into a smaller space is the practice of not letting it overwhelm or consume you. Which is what Levi and I were doing. We may not always have the words or concepts for it, but when we need to tuck-in, we make our world the size of our living room (with occasional pop to the kitchen) so the next day, we can be ready for the things beyond those 4 walls.
Get cozy,
~C