(Part 1 is here.)

OK, so really, it turns out, being a human is ABSOLUTELY absurd, and that’s kind of the point.

I started getting reiki sessions with Esther Cho this winter. In what may be the most ridiculously bougie thing I’ve done thus far with my life (no comments on my wine choices, Jack), I started working with Esther on reiki for Cosmo, one of my two dogs. If you don’t know what reiki is, feel free to stop here and google it, but I sum it up by saying that it’s basically acupuncture for your soul, with bonus physical benefits. It’s really helped build Cosmo’s confidence and trust, and I got such good vibes from Esther that I started doing sessions for myself, too. (I highly recommend her!)

I shared with her the stuff I wrote about last week — being a soul trapped in a meat suit, and trying to find more integration between my sense of self and my sense of embodiment. She came to our next session armed with loads of books, meditations and recommendations, which is one of the things I love about working with her. I told her about how I’ve always felt limited by being stuck in a body, like it’s somehow punishment. Why can’t I fly?!

We discussed how our souls choose our bodies/embodiment for every go-round that we live. Even if you’re not someone that believes in reincarnation, picture it like this: your soul and God had a conversation before you were born about what you needed to understand about being alive before you could take your place back in heaven, and you chose your body, your parents, your circumstances, etc. (Not into God or deities or souls? OK: you’re a blob of cosmic energy before you’re born, and you bloop out into the world as the human that you are to work on the cosmic energy balance. Still no? OK, maybe this one isn’t for you, then. Hee.)

The realization that I had through our conversation was this: it’s not that you can’t fly, it’s just that you chose not to for this go-round. Why on earth, as I asked last week, would anyone choose to be human? So messy! So complicated! So unpredictable! Such lack of flying capabilities! It turns out, that’s the point. The limitations and complications are what make it interesting.

It reminds me of creativity exercises. If someone puts you in a big, blank room with every kind of creative/artsy/crafty supply you could ever dream of, and says: “Create something!”, you might be at a loss for what it is you would want to create. The possibilities are endless, and potentially overwhelming! But if someone sticks you in a room, and hands you a Kleenex, a crayon, some glue and a banana, and says, “Create something!”, it’s easier to find inspiration in your limited choices. The limitations provoke your creative consciousness.

Rather than seeing my embodiment, then, as kind of impediment or trap, I’ve been spending this week trying to find curiosity in it. When I get curious, I can at least laugh at the absurdity of the limitations, and laughing often opens up new ways of thinking and being for me. We’re never going to know for absolute certain why we’re here, what our purpose is, or what have you, but maybe we can just be a little curious along the way.

Love letters from dz

Follow up: Being a human IS indeed absurd.