ACCEPTANCE

"Acceptance is the magic that makes change possible. It is not forever; it is for the present moment." -Melody Beattie-

If only it were that simple! Each and every day brings new (not always welcome!) opportunities for me to practice acceptance. Generally, my first response is to resist,and fight against the person,situation or thing with which I am struggling. Acceptance does not mean that I have to like what is going on in my life. A wise friend once explained it to me this way: If I went on a picnic and it began to rain, I could sit there and get wet or I could open an umbrella and move to a sheltered area. First, I need to recognize that it is raining before I can come up with a solution. There is no winning if I choose non-acceptance. What I do find however,is frustration, anger and hopelessness.
Acceptance in my yoga practice can serve as a demonstration of acceptance in my life. At the moment that I can accept myself,my limitations and challenges, I begin to relax into my practice. My competitive nature pushes me to "be the best" in my life's endeavors. What I have strived for most of my life is to accept that there will always be people who are more flexible, stronger, faster, etc.,than I. At those moments when I accept my competitive nature, I no longer see myself as wrong, or flawed,or less than. I have then allowed myself the freedom for change to enter into my life. Acceptance opens that door.