The Monkey and the Banana

On our New Years’ trip to Sri Lanka in 2016 I arranged a singing bowl massage workshop in Colombo at The Om Space with Serena Burgess. This was a lovely relaxing way to while away an afternoon as you can see from the photos below.

Serena asked me if there was anything special I wanted her to teach to the class, but I had no special requests or expectations, however, I did suggest that as it was the New Year and the beginning of our retreat, perhaps a small letting go ceremony, something to see off 2016 and invite in 2017.

Instead of the usual releasing type of activity, you may do for something like this, she told this story, which I think we all enjoyed, and had us thinking very seriously about the bananas in our lives.

One way to catch a monkey is to place a banana in a glass jar. The jar is big enough for the monkey’s hand to enter, but the opening is not so big that the monkey can remove his hand with the banana. He has been trapped! Well psychologically anyway. Of course, he can remove his hand at any time, but he doesn’t, he is trapped by his desire for the banana! 

If the monkey let go of the banana isn’t there the possibility he could find many bananas in the forest? 

By holding onto this banana could he possibly be missing out on even bigger and better bananas?

Not to mention the risks if the trapper comes back and the monkey is still there holding onto this banana!

So this then creates an opportunity for us to ponder the bananas in our lives. We’ve all had them, the relationship that went on for far too long, the job that lasted way past its used by date, the degree we just kept slogging away at even though we knew in our heart of hearts it wasn’t what we wanted to do. 

So now its your turn, contemplate this:

What are the bananas in your life?

And how are they limiting you??

And most of all what would happen if you just let go???

Wishing you a wonderful day, make sure you eat a banana xx