Finding My Center

Scene from Rise of the Guardians where
Santa Claus is trying to get Jack Frost to find his center.

I find spiritual inspiration in the oddest of places and the most unexpected. I just finished watching Rise of the Guardians. I was in the mood for some child-like fun. I don't know why but I've been itching to watch children's movies for the past week or so. And I've been trying to rent this movie for weeks, but of course I'm in a small town and the only renting facility available is RedBox, so of course it was always out :-( But ALAS...Today it was available and I jumped on it. 


The movie takes the most popular childhood myths, the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Sandman and sets them up as a team of Guardians that have vowed to protect the children of the world. The children are threatened by the infamous Boogeyman known as Pitch Black in the movie. When the Guardians meet to come up with a plan to defeat him, the Moon aka the Man on the Moon, who created and founded the Guardians informs them that he has found a new Guardian to help them, Jack Frost. 

*Santa Claus' center...a cute big eyed baby.

When Jack Frost is taken to the Guardian's Headquarters aka the North Pole, he refuses to accept his guardianship. Santa Claus being the Big Man that he is pulls him aside to convince him to do otherwise. His discussion is what touched, resonated and inspired me today. He simply asked him "Who are you Jack Frost? What is your center?" Jack had no idea how to answer. Claus proceeds to present to him a matryoshka doll (I had to look up the proper name myself ;-). It's the wooden russian dolls that continually open up to a smaller one. But Claus' doll has various different faces with differing emotions. Many of which contradict each other such as intimidating to jolly to mysterious to fearless to caring. Continually peeling down until Jack gets to the last and smallest of the dolls that can't be opened anymore. Claus identifies it as his center. There are no emotions on his face, just a small baby like doll with big eyes. Claus goes on to explain what this means which I won't go into detail here. But it is his center that allows him to put out the wonder and joy that he does each and every year leading up to and on the day of Christmas. It is his purpose. 

It made me ask myself what is my center? what am I meant to send out into the world? and although like Jack I can't answer that question, I sense that I'm on my way to finding it. Lately, my life has been filled with ups and downs and it still is, but for some reason...it doesn't seem as tragic as it used to...I'm not sure if its because I've been developing a more consistent asana practice or if I've done better at balancing the amount of time between relaxation and productivity or if its just because its the end of the semester and I have the "-itis" of just not caring anymore or a combination of them all helping me to find my way. But this movie, this scene inspired me to keep doing whatever it is I'm doing and to never stop believing in myself, my dreams, my hopes and my fears; to never stop searching for who I truly am not a layer that makes me but for my center, the part of me that cannot be peeled or opened up. That part of me that just...is...no layers needed...