So, I needed to do some cleansing, inward and out, and with a spring storm that passed by recently there were a lot of excess debris and dead branches. This means exercise by FIRE. Hehe. I burned all day long.
There was over a full truckload of half old and half new debris; old chopped up pallets, tree limbs, brush, and wooden burnable junk. Yet, I have been limited to a small, slightly above ground, half moon shaped bowl to use for burning, which means a lot more attention to details, and more cutting.
To begin every fire is different, but each process has to start with a good base or foundation, especially of most of the materials are green, wet and new. Balls of paper, started with chunks of old seasoned dry pieces of wooden pallets, then flashed with dry leaves, tree droppings started very easily. Then every once and a while bundles of green twigs and wet leaves steamed up the little burn pot.
Yet, I really want to talk more about is the 'character' of fire more than the exact details of materials. Because its in the process of fire and how it is maintain that influences the internal nature of our being. Because fire is a major component to our evolutionary being.
We are made up of star dust(C30), but our internal processes are govern by the elements that make up our planet and everything else. (Earth, Air, Water, & Fire) Fire is our driving force and ignites our motivation and allows for the flow of what the Chinese refer to as Qi.
Qi is ether, the blue spark, divine lightening, the essence that is all life.
Ever have your leg bounce uncontrollably, or see your hands go pink-n-white after exercise, feel a rush or energy go through your face after standing too fast; that is Qi.
By creating a proper platform, foundation or base within our bodies we can turn on and control our personal flow of Qi. As with fire, we start out slow with a kindling, then add to it in steps. It is as with exercise to loose weight or build muscle with each additional day of training we can add to the process or increase the weights we lift. Now we also fuel that internal fire with food, or control it by the diet we consume. Too heavy a meal the furnace or fire bogs down, smokes, sputters, too lean and the fire burns fast and hot. We can tell when our emotions are in a great state of flux, real big highs, and crushing lows. To control the fire in the pot I use a stick or metal pole. Yet, for our emotions we also must use some form of spiritual guidance system as a release valve. Some basis to stir and tend to the fire. As like meditation, rhythmic breathing, or prayer.
Once a fire is tended and burning, and if enough sticks, logs and leaves are in place the fire can burn unattended for a little while, and that is the lesson I wish to convey. Sometimes during exercise or personal training we focus too much on the benefits or look towards the dramatic changes that we forget the look away and allow the process to be "unattended", and that is why some created the saying, 'the journey is the most important', because when we reach a point that we are just continually 'doing' that is when we are the most productive. NO thought,...
In the case of the fire, when I could look away and tended to preparing the next pile of stuff to burn was when most of the other pile burned fastest. Then by the end of this day I had really Hot coals and every thing I added didn't smoke but burned cleanly, evenly, and relaxed.
Bumbas,...Happy Trails!
