One of the beautiful things about the 365-day photo project I’ve been working on for the last four months is that it has given me a lot of daily prompts that are open to interpretation, including one from last weekend which was literally just the word “open”. There were a lot of directions I could have gone with it, including finding a shot that had a lot of open space (I took a few), but then I saw a little grey cat sitting in the neighbor’s window and decided to have some fun with it. I figured “open” meant I could read into it whatever I wanted, even if it was just a cat sitting in a window, eyes wide open, watching me. After creeping as close as I could without spooking my subject, I got several shots I could work with, sat down at my laptop and began editing. And as I edited, my mind drifted and I returned once again to the concept of what it means to be open.
In a January yoga class I learned of a mudra (hand gesture) used in practice called “Lotus Mudra.” It involves both palms facing each other, pinkies and thumbs touching, and fingers open and pointing toward the sky like the petals of a lotus flower. The mudra can be held at the heart center, and is a gesture of purity, compassion, and kindness. It encourages us to open our hearts, welcoming in grace and compassion, kindness and love throughout our experience.
For the last few weeks especially I’ve been open- mindfully so- to whatever life brings me. Open-minded. Open-hearted. Keeping my eyes open as well in an effort to be aware- to be an observer, rather than always taking action. With an open heart, I’m attempting to learn from where I’ve been rather than closing doors or burning bridges. Instead of reacting, I’m taking time to breathe and process and allow whatever understanding or decisions need to come. I’m maintaining connections that add value and meaning, and maintaining habits that add health and vitality.
Life brings us opportunities (and sometimes gifts)… if we’re open to receiving them. Sometimes those gifts are new people who are meant to be in our lives. Sometimes those opportunities involve learning from people we already know or from situations we’ve already lived through. But the key to gleaning any of that knowledge or understanding is to simply remain open.
