So in Hindu mythology, the world rests on an elephant. Or so I've been told. And the elephant rests on a turtle. And what does the turtle rest on? We'll of course its turtles all the way down.
And when I think about it, the turtle is a contracted and shielded little (or sometimes big) fellow. He is surrounded with that shell around him which really slows him down. He (or she) is contracted in the sense of as if he (or she) has drawn into themselves to become rigid, shielded, armored. I'm sure there are a ton more adjectives I can use. Its almost like the turtle is the archetype of contraction. While some sort of air creature or water creature would be the archetype of expansion.
So what does all this have to do with me? Well here I am walking through the forest on my daily route and often I notice that I'm cut off from the forest. I'm in my own little mental world, not really feeling, hearing, seeing, or connecting to the forest. Not really there. And I wonder if my feeling of "not really being there" is like a shell around me that my turtleness has created.
And in my meditation practice, can I feel the energy of this contraction? The feeling of it, the sound of it, the hiss of it. Maybe that's the inner reptile in me feeling the energy. And there is nothing wrong with it. Its a gift, right? Its sacred. The sacred hiss.
So what society calls stress or contraction, i'm going to call my sacred reptile. And the turtle will be my power animal. Or at least my friend.:-)
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