Nativity scene
A few years ago my mother visited me here in LA. Each time she comes she brings gifts. On this particular visit she told me that she had some nativity statues for me. I had left the Catholic religion more than 20 years ago so I was not super excited to get these statues. Then she added that she had brought not one but 14 nativity statues for me! I freaked out. I live in a studio apartment and had this terrifying image of being surrounded by Jesus, Virgin Mary and Joseph. She then told me they used to belong to my beloved Titi Sarita, who passed away, and who I was very close to. So I took the 14 nativity statues and placed them all around my house.
One day I was brushing my teeth and my eyes glanced at one of the statues that I had placed inside my bathroom cabinet. And then I had a powerful insight. I saw the statue just for what it was, not superimposing meaning to it. I saw a baby, a newborn, surrounded by adults who were clearly in awe of it and adoring it. And suddenly, there is was: the real meaning of the nativity scene! Nothing about a virgin birth, nothing about a savior, nothing about a religion. Just a statue symbolizing life regenerating itself in the form of a newborn and people circling around it and celebrating it.
I love those moments when you see things for what they are and not superimpose politics and meaning. Kind of like when you catch a sneak-peek of yourself at a store's mirror and not recognize yourself (and then you realize that you are not bad looking at all). Now when I look at nativity scenes, I don't have knee-jerk reactions towards Catholicism. I no longer feel my old issues rush forth to greet the present. But rather I am able to look at them with less-judgmental eyes.
Inspired by this I taught class today at Still. I also taught poses that had a "baby" to them in honor of "baby Jesus." We did Baby Kapinjalasana, Baby Cradle (standing and supine), Happy Baby... We did Wild Child which is pose that my friend and student Sonia came up with. It was so much fun.
May we remember that the light is always there, even in days when we are sad or dark. May our practice allow us to remember our light and extend it out. May we honor our life and how the universal energy lives in us. Happy Holidays everyone!
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