| 2004: The Year of Decompression From the Editor | by Tim Miejan de·com·press: verb, to release from pressure or compression; to undergo release from pressure; to bring (a person exposed to conditions of increased pressure) gradually back to normal atmospheric pressure; to adjust to normal atmospheric conditions after being exposed to increased pressure. It came to me last night while lying in bed in the dark, preparing to close my eyes and return to the dreamtime where all of us gather in respite from the gravity of life on earth. Just a single word: decompression. And once I heard it in my mind, I fully understood its significance. Decompression. Expansion. Common experiences in the computer world. A forgotten part of our personal world. The exact texture Day after work-long day, we gather millions and billions particles of data through our senses, and each microscopic portion of that data is stored in our bodies, down to the exact texture of the ceiling in the fast-food joint you slipped into during the lunch hour. Things we see, hear, taste, touch and smell, as well as our perceptions and intuitive understanding of all of this information, is downloaded and stored in our bodies. On top of that, unexpected things happen, and we feel pressure and put pressure on ourselves throughout the course of each day. Sometimes it seems that from the moment we wake up until the moment we lie down, the pressure continues to build, creating steam to the point of overload at the end of the day. Some may contend that this is the intent of the Matrix, to wear us down, stress us out and distract us to the point that we don't connect with our higher self. Others are quick to dispel such conspiracies and tell us to get on with life and to not take it so seriously. Nonetheless, we all feel it. Some of us can go home and release the burdens of the day easily. Not all of us, however, are good at releasing the build-up of pressure as the day wears on. Not all of us have the constitution or opportunity to take a power nap at the height of this stress. And when this process continues, day after day, month after month and year after year, collapse is more than likely to occur. Whether you're on the campaign trail and unexpected emotion spills out from the podium or you're at home at the end of a tough day and you and your spouse are yelling at each other over spilled milk, pressure will affect you in unpleasant ways if it is not accounted for. The key is to know it's there. If you allow At one time in my life, I made a routine of using a floatation tank as a way to relax. Inside the tank, you are buoyed in the water due to a vast quantity of Epsom salts. And then, you float. You are not subject to the effects of gravity and your body can truly unwind. The water is skin temperature. The enclosure is dark. The only thing you smell is the salt water. You hear and feel your heart beat. Your mind yearns for stimuli, and in the absence of much, if not all, it expands outward and inward and the results are transformative, transcendental. In the past half dozen years, I've only floated once, but I still remember the feeling. It's an aliveness. It seems to peel away non-essentials, locking you into the present moment. The air is fresh and the snow is incredibly refreshing. And you are here, now. Nothing escapes your attention. You are being. The good news is, there are alternatives to floating to achieve this relaxed, pressure-less space. Built into your bodies are such tools as meditation, a free experience that requires nothing except your desire to be there, and exercise, which is also free and life-affirming. With regular use, they provide decompression. They expand what was once a tightly wrapped and dense energy pattern and transform it into a free-flowing rush of love and joy. We can choose This year, 2004, is the year of Decompression. It is the year that we choose to expand and take a new course. We collectively choose to re-write the rules to our orchestrated drama. And we live as if experiencing joy and peace and love are our fundamental goals. It is the year that we acknowledge that we're in the drama, a willing participant. And it is the year that we recognize the intense burden we've been carrying on our backs and know we can set it down. Now. It takes strength, courage and confidence to turn in your tracks, about face, and march a new direction. We won't all move so quickly. Some of us will hesitate. But not all is lost. Everyone is connected to every one. Those who are swimming against the tide are congealing, and they're combining like a lava lamp in the darkened sky. Their influence is hard to resist, because love is infectious. Footnote on Election 2004 As we've seen throughout the Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses, the media has announced the winners, polled the losers and has told us in no uncertain terms who will face the incumbent George W. Bush in the general election. People in only a few states have met the candidates in person, but they accept the Democratic process, and they do as they're told. They go along with the plan and, before long find themselves waking up on Groundhog Day over and over and over again. And at night, they go to sleep and then they get back up and do it all over again. It is time to stop the movie. Turn it off. Close your eyes and ask for the help that has been waiting for your invitation. Know that you are not alone. Know that you no longer feel the pressure, or perhaps you no longer allow the pressure to build. You are flowing through life, streamlined for the flight, and for the first time in your life, you feel as if you've taken a step. Open your eyes and see where to go. Tim Miejan is editor of The EDGE. Contact him at (651) 578-8969, toll-free 1 (888) 776-5687 or by e-mail at editor@edgenews.com Copyright © 2004 Tim Miejan |
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Feb 2004 |
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