~ annihilation of the unnecessary, purging ~
The panther won't stand to see our growth or energy stagnate. Instead, it pounces into our lives and causes all kinds of havoc, with the ultimate intention of bringing us toward more fulfilling lives. It's unexpected, uncomfortable, and sometimes feels devastating, but after all the dust clears it's easy to see the panther's wisdom at work. We've all been through these experiences, and they've made us better people. Trust that the panther's journey always leads to a brighter place.
when in balance ~ brave, productive
when out of balance ~ self-destructive
to bring into balance ~ get rid of the unnecessary
Hi friends! :) Welcome to week 23 of our yoga series - exploring this life through the symbolism of the animal kingdom. Each creature represents a different aspect of our human journey, helping us to better understand and connect to our inner and outer worlds. Every 5 weeks in our yoga classes, we cycle through each of the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) and their respective animals in this card deck.
Last week, the octopus of the water element celebrated our desire to deepen our relationships; however, she pointed out our tendencies to become too involved and entangled with others. She taught us to set boundaries so that our relationships can be respectful, spacious, and loving.
This week, we return to the fire element, which relates to our transformation and purification. Our new teacher is the panther: fierce, swift, powerful, ruthless. The panther often comes uninvited, and she can be absolutely terrifying... but she's always exactly what we need.
Deep in the night, deep in the jungle, the panther waits and watches from her perch in the branches. Tension unknowingly builds on the forest floor, her glowing eyes knowing, the perfect moment to pounce. Leaping gracefully from her branch, she makes her kill.
Sometimes we may spot the panther's luminous stare spying on us from out the darkness -- her lurking gaze a signal of what is to come. Other times, her claws completely take us by surprise. No matter the circumstance, her presence almost always evokes fear. For when she appears, she does not tread lightly. She takes no prisoners, she spares no lives, she shows no mercy.
To varying degrees, we've all experienced the panther... whether or not we've recognized her as a loving force. Usually, these dark, destructive nights of our lives are not welcomed. We are often so consumed by the horror and discomfort that we fail to see the vital transformation taking place. We fail to see that her teeth ripping away at our flesh is actually our healing.
If we look to nature, no great, sudden change ever occurs through something easy. If we look to nature, great and sudden change always occurs through violence and destruction. The universe was not born by dancing fairies and harps - it was birthed by an explosion. Anything fast, anything monumental, occurred through some kind of destruction. What changes a landscape more than flood, fire, or storm? A forest does not grow in a day, but it can burn in one.
Why does reality seem to occur this way? I don't know, must be one of life's mysterious, but I do observe the pattern. And we humans, as an inextricable part of nature, follow this pattern. We develop health and wisdom slowly through time, but one cataclysmic event occurs and we crumble. This can be a physical death, yes, but as is helpful for practical application here, are the many metaphorical (aka energetic or egoic deaths) we experience within this one lifetime.
The panther is the one who brings death. And death is never easy. It always hurts. And that's just simply how it is. We don't need to change death into something it's not, we don't need to try to somehow try to make it pleasurable or breezy. We respect death for what it is -- the recycling of the old into the new. We respect the agony of those old parts of ourselves being ripped away, exposing the new vulnerable layer beneath. The beginning of a new space. Absolutely necessary for our growth and evolution.
We can usually pretty easily identify some aspect(s) of our lives that are due for change... whether that be a circumstance, habit, or belief. But (cliché yes) it's not always so easy to make those changes, huh? ESPECIALLY those things that are so very deeply ingrained -- so deeply immeshed within us. It is especially difficult to extricate those deep, deep insidious things. So difficult, that it may often feel totally outside of our control. And life knows that. Life knows that there are some things that aren't the responsibility of your sheer will to fight. That sometimes your will, although powerful, is just not enough.
And so, with life's knowing of your predicament, she calls in the darkness... the unknown, the yin energy. We really like to resist that energy... we really don't like the unknown... it's really scary. So what do we do in these scary, shadowy times? Nothing. We just keep the faith, we trust that just as the phases of dark is part of the pattern, so is the light. And the light will return. We trust that this night, no matter how long, no matter how dark, is part of our process, part of our growing, part of our natural spiraling of evolution. And it doesn't need to make sense, it doesn't need to have any kind of discernible meaning. Once we return to the light, maybe then it will make sense -- it often does. But in the meantime, surrender into the jaws of the panther, trust that she is taking care of you. Trust that the pain and confusion you may be experiencing are side effects of her sacred work.
She is killing off all of those old pieces that need to be recycled, transmuted. And once the sun welcomes in a new day, you walk into the light clear, reborn, renewed. More powerful and aligned than ever before. Thank the panther for her intervention. You are strong. You are brave. You are honoring your evolution, deepening into love, journeying ever forward -- a warrior.
Next week, the bee of the air element represents the incredible worker and collaborator within us -- an artist, with an eye for detail as well as the bigger vision. This teacher invites us to find balance in this role by recognizing when we're overworked... and start stinging.
til next time ✌︎
dream extreme!
♡ kat
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