The clothesline ran across our yard from East to West. There were five tension lines that held laundry and shop towels from my Mom’s hair salon. Each week it was my job to wash and hang them out to dry, then carefully fold them in half and put them away. Being small for my age, the large basket was hard to manage when it was full of damp towels. With some effort I made my way up the cement stairs that led from the basement to the backyard. There was never enough clothespins, so I learned to stack the towels on top of each other at the corners to conserve pins. It took some time to develop this skill, holding pins in my mouth until I was coordinated enough to hold them in my hands while stretching the towels.
When I was big enough I hung the sheets too. It was hard at first with all the yards of fabric, but like the towels I got the “hang of it,” The sheets would flap and flutter as they caught the breeze. It was mesmerizing. Sometimes I would lay on my back watching the laundry and the clouds, creating animals and faces from the shifting shapes. Just lazily passing the time. Those summer days were carefree and light.
When the crisp sheets came down, and the beds were made, I knew it was going to be a good night. Crawling in between the smooth sheets I felt wrapped in the smell of fresh air and sunshine. This is a memory I will never forget. Whenever I see fabric in motion, flags, scarfs or clean laundry, I’m caught up in the moment filled with past memories of days gone by. Then my awareness shifts from the past, and there is a realization that comes with the wind. The Three Gunas are dancing, their cyclical nature is perceivable. This dance underlies the process of change, it is inevitable. I can feel the wind whirling and swirling all around me. This breath from heaven is a wise teacher, showing me the transitory nature of my physical life.
For more information on Yoga and Yoga Philosophy go to www.gobodhiyoga.com.
