Remembering Jackfruit

Two years ago today, I was in Kerala, India with my yoga teacher, Shiva Rea.  I cannot believe how fast time has past!

I share with you a passage from what I wrote then, in a note I called, “A Little Lesson from my Crush, Jackfruit”:

Shiva mentioned something today that stuck with me.  She said that to be modest is a high expression of arrogance because in that, we have allowed our being small to be more important than the energy that connects all of us.  Mmm….I must take that in my pocket with me everywhere.  I let the fear that is associated with modesty go and replace it with a sense of peace, and trust, and love…in other words, presence with my true nature.

In closing, I share a little lesson from my Kerala crush, jackfruit.  As I have spoken about before, the food here is divine.  Every meal, there are salads, about 10-15 Indian dishes – curries, rices, breads, veggies, lentils, you name it – fruit and dessert.

In this abundance of spectacular cuisine, I have found my one true love.  A cross perhaps between a yellow bell pepper, a melon, and mmm, something unnamed…maybe a banana and pineapple, the jackfruit is this fruit of fruits.  Upon our first meeting, I began coming to meals, going straight to the fruit section to find him.  When he was there, ah, a plateful will do, and when not, I’d go ask to see if there might be some in the back.  Knowing that we have limited time together, I initially had to curb my desire to eat only jackfruit.  But then I realized, that is so my nature.  When I find something or someone I love, I almost blindly dive in.  But there is such a tender balance because in that sort of hyper-focus, I may miss out on the chance of something I may need or want more to come along…like the crushed peanut, carrot and marmalade salad I did enjoy so much last night.  It is also true that this hyper-focus is not sustainable and will eventually leave me either tiring of jackfruit or malnourished in other areas.  And yet another picture of the beauty in balance.

So in the jackfruit, I reinforced a lesson I am learning here – that the flow of yoga and life is such that we enjoy the beauty outside by always keeping present to what is illuminating through the fire inside.  As energy cycles, we move through different periods of our practice and our lives, and in the acceptance of the moment for what it is, we can match our heart’s true desires to its environment and find peace in fluidity of motion. [The end…for now.]

Funny how something written so long ago is a reminder of just what I need right now.  Funnier even, to see the seeds of this blog in an entry I wrote so far before it ever came into my consciousness.

Love,

S

1 Comment

  1. jamie on March 9, 2011 at 12:34 am

    i am loving your blog, shakti sister – especially this one. i missed seeing you and the rest of the girls tonight, but i am so looking forward to reading more of your blog. love it. <3

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