Jogging with Deer Flies buzzing around my head in New Hampshire the other day taught me something. What I already knew, was that I don’t like Deer Flies—they bite.
Of course, there’s working with Like and Dislike—yes, that.
Then there was the arrogance of thinking I didn’t need to apply bug repellent before setting out. Because hey, I’ve got this. Except for the fact that as I came out of the woods onto the pavement, one Deer Fly stayed with me. Usually, they don’t like to leave the shade of the trees.
I waved my hands around my head to encourage it to go away, to leave me alone. Didn’t work. Buzz, bomb! Right into my face. Dang. Kept jogging, kept waving. More like swatting. Took off my hat and flapped that. I was getting pissed. So was the fly.
And now, Dear Fly
Then it occurred to me to try something entirely different. How about I change my state? I’m still jogging with Deer Flies buzzing around, but my wish is to let go of my negativity. Perhaps if I change the agitated energy field surrounding me, it will affect the flies. So, I withdraw my attention from the Deer Flies and focus on a counting exercise, coupled with sensation. This is a long-standing practice I often work with when I jog.
I can feel my state transition from negative agitation to practiced detachment. It feels like a drawing away from feeding the insect my energy and my attention. It is still hanging around, but no longer as persistent. I begin to relax into my jog, focusing my attention on moving sensation around my limbs with the count. I lose interest in the fly. The fly loses interest in me and disappears. Wow. Did that just happen?
What I Learned from Deer Flies
What seemed to have occurred, was my own inner work affecting the subtle state of the world around me. There appeared to be a manifest connection between my vibrational field and its relationship with the natural world. I believe this applies to the material world as well. I’m not talking about imagination or philosophy; I’m referring to something real. Something I can continue to open to and explore. That is, the difference between an agitated energy field that draws a negative response and creating an intentional non-emanating field that has a positive result.