In order to be in sync with Tao, it is vital to shed inhibitions and let inner beauty come forward. Most people might think inhibitions are only related to matters like sex or personality, but this is not case. I am speaking of inhibitions that are forced upon us by society, the pressures of conformity. Most difficult to be one with Tao, when outside influence discourages such expression or makes light of Way. We feel pressured to conform, peer pressure, pressure from parents, pressure from ourselves.
We are inhibited by fear; fear of being seen as different perhaps, fear of the unknown, fear of ourselves even. If you go to ashram or maybe retreat, you see happy people; dancing , singing, laying on the grass, just being in the moment. In this atmosphere, inhibitions vanish, in this framework of like minded people, inhibitions are melted away. Yet many of these same people leave and go back to the ‘real’ world and what happens? The old ways take over, the pressure to conform to what society believes to be ‘normal’ overpowers them.
So question is, how do we keep these inhibitions from building up. Perhaps answer lies in not being so self-conscious. Often we are afraid of what others think or say. We may be afraid of what we are doing. Often it is more comfortable in old bed no matter how lumpy than to try new bed. Think of most happiest times, most happiest behaviors. Do you do them now, or have you given them up for ‘normalcy’? Do you walk in the rain? Do you make snow angels? Do you sing or dance spontaneously? Chains of inhibition most heavy but not so hard to escape from. Go back to a happier time and explore why it was so happy. Common definition of maturity often gets in way of happiness. Perhaps maturity needs to be redefined. Maybe it should be the willingness to live free and joyfully; to have the wisdom to release one’s self from inhibitions.
(From talk given 08-03-10 at bar/grill on Seven Mile Beach near Georgetown, Cayman Islands with background of great reggae music! :) - Samantha)
