The Mindful Migraine

The above quote is shamelessly taken directly from another blogger’s post – Raffaello Palandri writes a beautiful blog that covers everything from philosophy to Tai Chi, meditation, Buddhism, art and photography – it is one of my favorite places to visit in blog-land.

In a post I tagged a year ago (but is seemingly even more relevant now), “The Interwoven Essence of Existence“, Raffaello writes of his belief that we are born of the universe, unique and yet interconnected. He ends his post this way:

“In the paradox of existence, we find that our true uniqueness lies in our fundamental sameness. // We are waves in the same ocean, flames in the same fire, and breaths in the same wind. To see this clearly is to transcend the illusions that divide us and step into a reality where living and loving are natural expressions of who we are. By integrating Buddhist wisdom, Stoic rationality, and scientific understanding, we move toward a life of greater harmony, compassion, and meaning—a life where the boundaries of self dissolve into the vast, unbroken expanse of existence itself.”

Oh! His words make me a little swoony – they also make me FEEL so good about who we are and where we are, and how wonderful the universe is, no matter how ill we might be in this moment (or how negative and divisive your news feed might be).

Life is good.

And whether you turn to science or art, faith or data, inwards or outwards, there is evidence enough to validate that theory – you just have to look.

But let’s circle back to the notion of waves and why I like them so much.

The first reason is – brainwaves – as I’ve mentioned in a recent post, our brains are always on the go, vibrating at different frequencies, from relaxed and calm (low frequencies), through to hyper-focused and attentive (high frequencies – read more here).

When I was in high school, I remember being so confused by the videos they showed us of a rubber ball, out to sea or in a test-tank, bouncing up and down on the waves. It didn’t do what I expected, (which was surf the wave towards the shoreline) – no – it just oscillated in place – up – down – up – down. Why wasn’t the ball being flung from one end of the tank to the other, riding the wave? Because waves don’t work like that; energy not matter is what’s on the move.

I still find it a bit confusing, but here’s a short (2 minute) video that includes the sort of image that is still bobbing in my mind from school:

[Video source: Flow of energy not matter in transverse waves]

The other type of wave behavior that I remember from school was the ripple effect – here’s another (2 minute) video to explain:

[Video source: Ripples in a pond]

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OK, OK – so why am I ruining the swoon by getting all detailed about the mechanics of a wave instead of holding onto the blissful image of us all being waves in the ocean together?

Because, in my typical round-about way, I’m trying to make a point.

Sometimes we hold the image of health or wellness or healing as an image in our head – an endpoint – a pinnacle – a manifestation of all things good.

And that is fine – that’s how manifesting works and why we establish goals – great.

But as anyone who has ever tried to achieve a goal knows – unless you’re amazing at manifesting solutions from the ether (which I am not / although I’m constantly experimenting) you need some details to fill the space from here to there… from illness to wellness… from one side of the pond to the other… from feeling like you’re drowning out to sea, to feeling safe on the shoreline…

Having a vision of all of us in this together (as our individual boundaries dissolve and we become closer to each other through digital space and friendship) makes me very happy – but – as I float alone through my house on the days where all the well people are elsewhere being productive, imagining myself bobbing up and down on the highs and lows of healing also feels immediately relatable.

The notion that what I do has a ripple effect (no matter how small or weak or one directional) also helps keep me motivated to work, parent, clean, or write blog posts when I’m feeling soul-weary.

This post is drifting away from where I imagined it would go… not in a bad way… just as a reminder that sometimes our ideas are not tightly held possessions… they can take on a life of their own… for better or worse.

…oh… and I still believe; healing is tidal.

Let me end by reminding you all that I’m sending a river-full of kindness and compassion your way; you are never alone, and healing CAN happen – believe me.

Take care taking care, Linda x