295 – Anticipation

Anticipation is such a lovely word. What does it mean? Hope, expectancy, contemplation and joy. Without anticipation, we have no prospect of something awaiting us. “I walk ahead of myself in perpetual expectancy of miracles.” – Anais Nin.

I have a banana tree in my backyard. It produces one bunch of bananas every year. First the flower comes out and then the fruits start as tiny bananas. Now the birds start coming. It is as if they want the bananas to ripen quickly. They sing around it. All kinds of birds come at different times of the day. It is as if there is an inspection going on. When they start turning yellow, there are even more birds visiting. Now you see couples and if only one has come, then he signals for the female. Somehow it is always the male of the species which comes. It is so beautiful to behold. The chatter and the singing. It appears to me that their singing is what ripens the bananas.

The birds and the monkeys

When they are almost ready, there is a bigger crowd, and they start pecking the ripe parts of the fruit. I have even had a monkey visit. How did he know? He would sit cross legged and gaze at the bananas, willing them to become golden yellow. Then after three days of intense hypnotism of the bananas, he plucked one from the bunch and pushed off. I have always wondered what happens in a forest where there are wild bananas. There must be so much singing and whistling. Not to forget the buzzing of the bees. It is all about anticipation.

How does anticipation affect us? I can say for myself that I was so happy to see and hear them. I loved the monkey’s direct gaze. It was as if the monkey was practicing trataka (candle gazing) on the banana bunch. The birds were doing a sadhana, coming daily and looking at the bananas. We can also apply this in our lives. The daily practice of asanas and pranayamas makes us feel good. If we are attending a yoga class, we meet other like-minded persons. We shed our stress. We wear attractive yoga clothes. The japa with the mala centers us and we are less influenced by our thoughts. Our practice of trataka enables us to concentrate positively on what tasks we are performing. So all in all anticipation in life is a wonderful feeling and it makes us positive and happy.

“If you come at four in the afternoon, I’ll begin to be happy by three”. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Aim Hrim Klim

 

Photo by Jiayu Chan on Unsplash

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