Today's Wisdom in my Inbox
I hope I'm not breaking any huge copyright rules, but I wanted to share this with all of you. I am on the Yoga Journal mailing list, and at least once or twice a week, they hit right on something going on in my life with an almost frightening precision. This was today's message:
Ready, Set, Change
How is it that when life is spun around by circumstances, benign or otherwise, some people flail while others sail? Why do some of us wallow in that place where we're so shocked and unhappy about an unexpected turn of events that we resist reality and find ourselves mired in bitterness or fear or hopelessness? Instead of accepting change with grace, we dig in our heels and suffer through each day of things not being what we think they should be. What's the secret to riding each new wave gracefully?
You can learn to accept change with equanimity, absorbing each phase in stride and learning from each new experience. Instead of running for the hills each time a change arises, deal with change in three distinct stages: Loosen your grip, separate your feelings, and tap into wisdom. Learning to make peace with life's calamities-lost jobs, romances, dreams-does not mean you have to be passive.
Prepare for life's ups and downs with a daily practice. Every morning, repeat a gatha (mindfulness verse): "Great is the matter of birth and death; impermanence surrounds us. Be awake each moment; do not waste your life." Life doesn't give you breathing room, but if you stop grasping for control of the uncontrollable, you can learn to breathe through it all.
Further reading:
Change is in the Air
Sometimes we crave change. Other times we dread it. Either way, we can't escape it. Here's how to live with it-and learn from it.
By Chris Colin
Ready, Set, Change
How is it that when life is spun around by circumstances, benign or otherwise, some people flail while others sail? Why do some of us wallow in that place where we're so shocked and unhappy about an unexpected turn of events that we resist reality and find ourselves mired in bitterness or fear or hopelessness? Instead of accepting change with grace, we dig in our heels and suffer through each day of things not being what we think they should be. What's the secret to riding each new wave gracefully?
You can learn to accept change with equanimity, absorbing each phase in stride and learning from each new experience. Instead of running for the hills each time a change arises, deal with change in three distinct stages: Loosen your grip, separate your feelings, and tap into wisdom. Learning to make peace with life's calamities-lost jobs, romances, dreams-does not mean you have to be passive.
Prepare for life's ups and downs with a daily practice. Every morning, repeat a gatha (mindfulness verse): "Great is the matter of birth and death; impermanence surrounds us. Be awake each moment; do not waste your life." Life doesn't give you breathing room, but if you stop grasping for control of the uncontrollable, you can learn to breathe through it all.
Further reading:
Change is in the Air
Sometimes we crave change. Other times we dread it. Either way, we can't escape it. Here's how to live with it-and learn from it.
By Chris Colin