Stories of Wise Teachers, Bedouin Ladies and Walking in Beauty...
Last week I was at a seminar which was led by a very perceptive old lady. At one point she sat me down and started telling me a story. Many years back she had been on a trip to the desert with her husband and children. There they were met and greeted by the bedouins and she was invited to the tent of the Bedouin chief's wife. This bedouin woman had not worn a pair of shoes in her whole life and she was walking around the tent coordinating things and getting things ready for the next meal. The teacher said that this woman impressed her because in spite of her circumstances, she carried herself like a queen. Then to my surprise, she also added that I remind her of this bedouin lady and she knew that the way I carry myself is the result of hard work. She suggested I relax, give myself space to be, and to add a sense of simplicity. All this could be done without giving up my posture. I understand what she meant and truly treasure this feedback. Looking back I can see where my way of holding myself up has come from. As a child, I used to slouch and my mother would be like 'Imxi dritta', over and over again. Then in my teens, my father would incessantly repeat the mantra, 'Halli rohik ghalia', which poorly translated would mean, 'Keep yourself of high value'. Then in my twenties on my spiritual quest, I strove to walk in spirit, connecting to the ground and to the sky. It feels marvelous to walk or stand in this way and the idea to add space and simplicity to all this feels uplifting and adds a heart element. It is also what I remember when I wear my Safia dresses, to walk in beauty which now also means, 'To hold oneself like a queen.'