Lucky Lizards and Killing Fields

So last night, I was greeted by a familiar sight--a little baby gecko lizard. This little reptile caught me by surprise near my door on the corner of the ceiling, and I was instantly taken back to when I did my 500 hour teacher training in Mexico where I met a lizard I affectionately called Dusty. I discovered Dusty, still as could be, in a corner near our cubbies--and as his name indicates, he was covered in dust. He stuck around for most of our days in the studio, when we were all going through our own growth, challenges and breakthroughs in class with Jean. Dusty witnessed it all--completely at ease in his circumstances. A wise creature. Now a lizard comes to me again during this time of great change and growth to remind me that I can rise above anything that causes discomfort (loneliness, culture shock, language barrier, getting ripped off at a gift shop, etc.). I love it when I get little reminders of my wholeness and ability to handle anything.

A friend from Seattle arrived last night who I've been in contact with for a few weeks through Facebook. I knew instantly that we'd be comrades and stick together to help each other feel more at ease in this foreign land. Today we ate breakfast together and then proceeded to walk about outside, dodging traffic and feeling alive in the hustle. We checked out the local mall, which had tons of similar clothing and shoes, and a food court on every floor it seemed like. We were over the mall pretty quick and went down the street, past the hotel and over the river to this amazing cluster of temples where monks and other locals were frequenting. Everybody greeted us with a "Hi" and a smile as they stared with wonder at us. We smiled back and bowed our heads as we walked around everywhere. I love that a smile and a gesture of respect is all that both parties needed to go on about the day. It was truly perfect.

Later on in the afternoon, Smith took a group of us to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek--a popular tourist site that houses the remains of some of the people who were mercilessly killed by the Khmer Rouge. I was entranced by the Memorial Stupa that I knew was filled with skulls. This building is beautiful inside and out, even though its reason for being there is less so. The energy there was heavy for sure, but I emerged from it being unaffected. I focused instead on the beauty of the grounds themselves, which were lush, green, and filled with many species of butterflies. Butterflies are one of the ultimate symbols of transformation and I was comforted by their presence of lightness in a place that was once filled with horror and darkness. So it goes to show you--whether you're at Choeung-Ek, or dealing with pain and discomfort in life, you still have the luxury of choosing what to pour your attention and energy into. Today, I chose beauty--and felt more alive than ever as a consequence.