Living a Multilingual Life

When asked the question of whether or not you speak another language, what might you immediately infer? It’s likely that you equate language with verbal communication, and without hesitation assume the questioner is referring to the communication that occurs between people across culture and country. You might speak French, Mongolian or Swahili. Perhaps one of these is your native tongue. More importantly, the assumption resting within these understandable and expected responses is the unquestioned frame of mind that language is verbal.

Language is a vehicle for communication and connection. Human beings have mastered the skill and art of verbal communication. So much so, we assume that much of our communication is arriving on the wings of what we say, in both oral and written forms. Language is generally associated with human beings, and is synonymous with those funny things we refer to as words. Words are beautiful. They help us materialize our experiences, share our hopes and fears, and express ideas from the quantum realm of Mystery. And yet, they are but one medium from which we communicate. In fact, we “say” more to each through our body language, facial expressions, and energetic impressions, than we do from the spoken word.

Reflect, for a moment, of a time when you were with a friend or family member, and immediately you could sense something from them without even having to ask. You might have felt anxious “all of a sudden” or happy and peaceful just from being in their presence. When, and if, you inquired further, they may have revealed to you that they were having a terrible and wonderful day. You received impressions of this not from what they had to say with words, but rather what they were saying with their body, subtle and gross.

Let’s step outside of the human container, now. Reflect on a time when you were with an Other than human being, such as a cat or dog. Can you think of a time when they communicated something to you, such as needing food or to go outside, and not a single word was spoken? You “just knew” what they needed. And likely, this is all too recurring of an event that you brush off, and don’t even think twice about it. In such moments, you are in fact multilingual.

Language is not restricted to what we say via words. All beings have their own language. There is a language of the Wind. A language of the Sky. A language of the Stars. A language of Horses, Birds, Dragonflies, and Bees. Every being, from the soil beneath your feet to the clouds in the sky, has a language. A language that is spoken through feeling, image and sound. Our very own bodies have a language, and communicate to us through a vast ocean of sensation and sound. From the images you receive in a dream to the feelings of love or sorrow felt towards another, this too is a language.

Though words have their place and function, an unfortunate consequence of relying on words as one’s sole mode of communication is the disconnection we experience from ourselves and the rest of the world. Our capacity to communicate with the Other than human world is an indigenous capacity every human being holds within the cellular makeup of their existence. Indigenous in that we are born with this “skill.” A skill that could be referred to as “inter-species communication.” There is always an opportunity to re-root into the rich soils of such communication. When there is communication, there is understanding. Where there is understanding there is relationship. And where there is relationship, there exists the potential to practice the language of love and respect.

Ask yourself, right now, what languages you speak, and answer from this particular perspective. Do you speak Dog? Tree? Horse? Sky? Hawk? You might be surprised to discover just how multilingual you are!

We are of the Earth. We are made of the same “stuff” that all of life is made of. From the churning and dusted remnants of previously deceased Stars, our world was birthed. The very building blocks of DNA that make up you and I make up every blade of grass, worm, parasite, whale, beetle and frog. Believe it or not, DNA is a language! It communicates shape and form through the sequencing and replication of adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. And from the pairing of each, a relationship is formed. From each relationship, creation springs!

My question to you is this: What kind of world do you want to create? We, as contributory beings of this magnificent Earth, hold immense power to facilitate change through the relationships we forge, and the intent of our actions, therein. Do you hope and dream of a world that materializes from a language of love and interconnectivity? Or, are you satisfied with the current state of a world busting at the seems? What would happen if you risked stepping outside, and struck up a conversation with the Bee harvesting honey from a flower in your garden? What might happen if you sat beneath the shade of Tree, and really felt Her speaking to you? I wonder what she might have to share with you?

Intelligence is not exclusive to human beings, and I guarantee that you’ll be wondrously surprised by what the rest of the world has to share if you stop long enough, and listen deeply enough to what the Other’s around you are saying. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to begin, I find that one of the best methods involves feeling your way through the world. Feel your way into conversation. Whether it’s feeling the body when you’re practicing yoga, feeling the breath when you’re meditating, or feeling the grass beneath your feet when walking. Within each there is a dialogue. Can you hear it?! From such conversation, you’ll discover connection. And when you realize you’re connected, you’ll see that you are and always have been living a multilingual life.