Had a nice synchronicity today while I was reading some blogposts.
Community Yoga Austin is having an excellent fundraiser tonight at Stubbs, featuring DeadEye, a Grateful Dead Cover Band. If you are in ATX, then come on out for a rocking good, sweaty and sweltering dance and groove fest with an excellent community of live deadheads, spirited yogis and consciously active fellows!
Bought my tickets today, got my day situated, and there I am reading some blogs when along comes this great one from Dave Romanelli - he's the Yogi who isn't afraid to bring chocolate, wine and the Grateful Dead to the mat. He wrote an excellent blogpost on what he sees as the singular commonality that binds yoga and the Dead community, beyond the external trappings.
Dave posits that both of these experiences reinforce living in the moment - being connected to what is occurring, to experience life as it presents and emerges (and I would offer, to have a gracious optimism coupled with an excellent sense of humor). I agree.
If you are familiar with the music of the GD, you know there's a lot of noodling on top of some lyrics - no disrespect, but I've found folks generally like the words, or the music. Luckily, there's both. Most of the Dead's lyrics and songs deal with topics from the realms of folks, legend, Americana and of course, straight up psychedelia...
I find the majority of Robert Hunter's lyrics to deal with the eternal concepts of redemption, of isolation or community, of myth and legend and of light and dark - here's a link to an excellent website with an article on the theme of dark and light. Says it better than I'm willing to at this time!
Thus, the title of this post, and the truth is speaks to me: the 'light' is not always where we seek it; sometimes it's actually deep in the shadows. Our 'guides' may come in many forms, beggars and thieves and scoundrels even. We simply do what we can, and keep on that path, keep working towards our own personal redemption - oh, and dance and sing and shake them bones!
I'll leave you to find your own light, in strange places, just keep looking - and with the words to one of my favorites: The Wheel.
"Small wheel turn by the fire and rod,
Big wheel turn by the Grace of God,
Every time that wheel turns 'round,
You're bound to cover just a little more ground,
Bound to cover just a little more ground.
Wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and can't hold on,
Can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you,
The lightning will!"
Give thanks and praise, and include all of yourself, your experiences as you look for the light!
Community Yoga Austin is having an excellent fundraiser tonight at Stubbs, featuring DeadEye, a Grateful Dead Cover Band. If you are in ATX, then come on out for a rocking good, sweaty and sweltering dance and groove fest with an excellent community of live deadheads, spirited yogis and consciously active fellows!
Bought my tickets today, got my day situated, and there I am reading some blogs when along comes this great one from Dave Romanelli - he's the Yogi who isn't afraid to bring chocolate, wine and the Grateful Dead to the mat. He wrote an excellent blogpost on what he sees as the singular commonality that binds yoga and the Dead community, beyond the external trappings.
Dave posits that both of these experiences reinforce living in the moment - being connected to what is occurring, to experience life as it presents and emerges (and I would offer, to have a gracious optimism coupled with an excellent sense of humor). I agree.
If you are familiar with the music of the GD, you know there's a lot of noodling on top of some lyrics - no disrespect, but I've found folks generally like the words, or the music. Luckily, there's both. Most of the Dead's lyrics and songs deal with topics from the realms of folks, legend, Americana and of course, straight up psychedelia...
I find the majority of Robert Hunter's lyrics to deal with the eternal concepts of redemption, of isolation or community, of myth and legend and of light and dark - here's a link to an excellent website with an article on the theme of dark and light. Says it better than I'm willing to at this time!
Thus, the title of this post, and the truth is speaks to me: the 'light' is not always where we seek it; sometimes it's actually deep in the shadows. Our 'guides' may come in many forms, beggars and thieves and scoundrels even. We simply do what we can, and keep on that path, keep working towards our own personal redemption - oh, and dance and sing and shake them bones!
I'll leave you to find your own light, in strange places, just keep looking - and with the words to one of my favorites: The Wheel.
"Small wheel turn by the fire and rod,
Big wheel turn by the Grace of God,
Every time that wheel turns 'round,
You're bound to cover just a little more ground,
Bound to cover just a little more ground.
Wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and can't hold on,
Can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you,
The lightning will!"
Give thanks and praise, and include all of yourself, your experiences as you look for the light!
