A couple of years ago I took a road trip to Montana, where I was born and raised. One evening a car pulled up at the campsite next to mine. A family got out, two parents and three kids. I couldn’t help but admire the way they worked together, like a well-oiled machine, to unpack, set up camp and prepare dinner. As they gathered around the picnic table, the youngest kid called out to me, “Come on, join us!”
I gladly joined their fun bubble. After we introduced ourselves, the youngest kid asked me, “How many thoughts do you have per second?
“I don’t know,” I said, hoping to learn more.
One of the parents clapped their hands enthusiastically. “The Empty the Thoughts Dance!”
Everyone jumped at the opportunity to dance, and I was excited, too, even though I didn’t know what the Empty Thoughts Dance was!
The oldest kid picked up an ordinary mug from the table and held it reverently with both hands. “Feel the weight of this container,” the youth said and passed the cup around the table. It was heavier than I had anticipated. I gazed down into the glossy dark green interior and felt safe and warm. The oldest youth put down the mug, picked up one made of air and held it with both hands. Then everyone picked up their own air cup. We sat without moving for a few, long seconds.
The middle child said, “Thoughts come down like rain, one per second.”
They held up their cup to catch a raindrop thought and emptied the cup over their opposite shoulder.
Everyone, in turn, followed suit. I held up my cup for a raindrop thought and promptly emptied it over my opposite shoulder.
A parent upped the challenge. They said, “Two thoughts per second!”
Each of us collected two thoughts and emptied them over the opposite shoulder.
The youngest tapped a beat on the table and used a sliding, swooshing motion/ sound for the empty.
The middle child called out, “Three thoughts per second!”
I had this feeling we all were as one, collecting and emptying thoughts like a juggling troupe.
“Two-handed collect thoughts and empty, three per second!”
I got all messed up, couldn’t figure out the coordination of catch and empty, each hand over a different shoulder. Until I realized my thoughts were all about doing it correctly. I collected three “correct” thoughts with the left, emptied, collected three with my right and emptied. Everyone around the table immediately followed me and together we emptied thoughts with increasing physical joy. The energy in that middle Montana campsite glowed and nourished the world with love and gratitude.
To complete the dance, we tapped our air cups together. A family forever. I thanked them and returned to my campsite. I sat by the fire and thought about emptying thoughts. Using my air cup, I emptied those thoughts and simply felt the movement in my body.
