Scene from Rise of the Guardians where
Santa Claus is trying to get Jack Frost to find his center.

I find spiritual inspiration in the oddest of places and the most unexpected. I just finished watching Rise of the Guardians. I was in the mood for some child-like fun. I don't know why but I've been itching to watch children's movies for the past week or so. And I've been trying to rent this movie for weeks, but of course I'm in a small town and the only renting facility available is RedBox, so of course it was always out :-( But ALAS...Today it was available and I jumped on it. 


The movie takes the most popular childhood myths, the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Sandman and sets them up as a team of Guardians that have vowed to protect the children of the world. The children are threatened by the infamous Boogeyman known as Pitch Black in the movie. When the Guardians meet to come up with a plan to defeat him, the Moon aka the Man on the Moon, who created and founded the Guardians informs them that he has found a new Guardian to help them, Jack Frost. 

*Santa Claus' center...a cute big eyed baby.

When Jack Frost is taken to the Guardian's Headquarters aka the North Pole, he refuses to accept his guardianship. Santa Claus being the Big Man that he is pulls him aside to convince him to do otherwise. His discussion is what touched, resonated and inspired me today. He simply asked him "Who are you Jack Frost? What is your center?" Jack had no idea how to answer. Claus proceeds to present to him a matryoshka doll (I had to look up the proper name myself ;-). It's the wooden russian dolls that continually open up to a smaller one. But Claus' doll has various different faces with differing emotions. Many of which contradict each other such as intimidating to jolly to mysterious to fearless to caring. Continually peeling down until Jack gets to the last and smallest of the dolls that can't be opened anymore. Claus identifies it as his center. There are no emotions on his face, just a small baby like doll with big eyes. Claus goes on to explain what this means which I won't go into detail here. But it is his center that allows him to put out the wonder and joy that he does each and every year leading up to and on the day of Christmas. It is his purpose. 

It made me ask myself what is my center? what am I meant to send out into the world? and although like Jack I can't answer that question, I sense that I'm on my way to finding it. Lately, my life has been filled with ups and downs and it still is, but for some reason...it doesn't seem as tragic as it used to...I'm not sure if its because I've been developing a more consistent asana practice or if I've done better at balancing the amount of time between relaxation and productivity or if its just because its the end of the semester and I have the "-itis" of just not caring anymore or a combination of them all helping me to find my way. But this movie, this scene inspired me to keep doing whatever it is I'm doing and to never stop believing in myself, my dreams, my hopes and my fears; to never stop searching for who I truly am not a layer that makes me but for my center, the part of me that cannot be peeled or opened up. That part of me that just...is...no layers needed...

The movie Avatar has so many spiritual lessons for me; being the animal and nature lover that I am. However, I'm not going to expound or list every single lesson that I have learned from Avatar (although that could be a good series one day), but there is one in particular that I would like to share .

After Jake Sulley has successfully proven to Neytiri that he is ready to become a hunter and choose his own Iklaan, He and other warriors in training are taken to the Hallelujah Mountains for the ceremony of choosing their iklaan. 

Although the entire ritual is scary considering that the one that is his is the one that tries to kill him, the moment of "sahelu" or bondage is one of the most beautiful scenes and lessons from the movie….The  bond...The bond that humans have with nature. Once we are bonded to nature there is no turning back.  You are forever changed.

I have not realized my oneness with nature beyond what my material senses can understand, but I know my connection with mother nature goes much much deeper. And every time I watch this scene of Avatar I'm reminded of that for the remainder of the movie. 

The moment the iklaan stops fighting Jake its eyes opens as if it has come to a divine revelation and it becomes calm. I wonder if my realization of the oneness I have with nature will be the same. If I will have this overwhelming sense of calm and peace when I do.

Consequently, Jake begins to truly understand all of the nature "mambo jambo" that Neytiri has been trying to explain to him for months. It was like a light clicked inside of him and all the messages, all the insights that Neytiri was sharing about the cyclical and dependent relationship between humans and nature became clear. How humans have a responsibility to keep balance between them and the natural world and how everything and everyone is connected.  I believe the very same lessons that Neytiri was trying to teach Jake Sulley, but that's my motivation...I believe...And I know longer want to believe...I want to know and the only way to know is to experience.

If there are any ideas on how I can do this or books or individuals that could help me I would be extremely grateful.

Do you believe in the interconnectedness of humans, animals and nature? What do you think the relationship should be between them?

I just finished watching one of my favorite movies of all time…Braveheart. And it made me reflect on all the great individuals who stood for something, for something worth fighting for, for something beyond themselves, for freedom, for equality, for justice, for independence, for peace…for freedom. And they did so with courage, bravery, intelligence, strength, perseverance, dedication, and at times unshakeable conviction. I reflect on individuals such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and countless other African Americans who marched into “white” restaurants to eat or sat in the front of the bus. I think about the Hall 9, the first high school African Americans to start the desegregation of the American school system and the courage to do what no one else wanted or were brave enough to do. I think about the suffragettes fighting for the right for women to vote because they are as much American Citizens as their husbands. I think of the innumerable Native Americans who fought to keep their territory and preserve their culture. I think of Mohandas Gandhi and the unbelievable faith he had in his fellow countrymen to follow his unconventional campaign to independence through non-violence. I think of Mother Teresa who served the homeless and marginalized until her dying breath. I think of Nelson Mandela who was imprisoned because he fought for freedom and equality for Black South Africans. I think of the land mine victims of Cambodia whose numbers continue to increase years and years later. I think of all the individuals both known and unknown who have stood up for what they believed in and it makes me wonder what kind of person will I become? Will I be just as strong as those who took a stance knowing that it would end in certain death? Am I courageous enough to stand behind my convictions with more than just speech? Am I brave enough to fight and struggle to correct the injustices that I see every day? Who will I be?