the elephant and the tree

there is a story I tell to my yoga students from time to time, to get them to go a little deeper, to seek out new answers, etc..

The story is that the way they train elephants in india is this... When they are babies, they chain them to a tree. It's a LONG chain. but they can only wander off as far as the chain will go. and they are chained for i dunno, years or something. Then when the elephant is all grown they take the chain off.. VOILA! FREEDOM!.

...or so you would THINK. But alas, NO, the elephant THINKS it still has the chain, and for the rest of it's life will never wander further (farther?) than the original chain.

The Moral? What hidden "unreal" chains bind you and limit you in your life? Even though there are no REAL chains for us (well, I mean unless you're a convicted murderer)(they wouldn't GET this story) what theoretical chains bind you to the past???

deep.

moving,

thought provoking.

.
And you know, you're probably waiting for some snide sarcastic remark from me. I LIKE this story because I think it's true. I dunno if they actually TRAIN elephants this way, but The imaginary chain thing IS TRUE, and it makes a good compelling story.And it makes me sound deep and smart when I teach.

ANd I am REALIZING this week how very true it is. I had a "lightbulb moment" as it were. I was sitting here today. watching People's court from my NEW TiVo. I have been WITHOUT TiVo for 8 WHOLE MONTHS. And you know? I sat through the WHOLE hour of my TiVo'd show and realized at the END of the show, that I also watched all the commercials! The remote was RIGHT there in front of me. I COULD HAVE fast fwd'd the commercials. By JUST pushing a button. But I did not.

I, like the little baby elephant, had been trained. And even though the chains are now gone for me, I still forget to believe in myself, and Tivo, and could EASILY have watched a commercial free show. I then realized that I had been watching the commercials for th epast few DAYS.

MAN, those invisible chains are POWERFUL.

SO I share this with you today my friends, my family...I challenge you to go DEEPER. PAY ATTENTION to your life and REALLY ask yourself...what CHAINS are holding YOU back?! Don't make my mistakes. LEARN from them.

I love you all.

Namaste.