"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.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday, December 11, 2009
Letting Go
"Freedom does not come from acquistion. It comes from letting go." -Sogyal Rinpoche-
All too often, the holiday season becomes a time of acquisition. The aphorism, "less is more" tends to be forgotten, as we run from store to store making sure that each person on our list gets that "perfect" gift. How freeing it would be to "let go" of that idea of the perfect holiday, with the perfect gift.
I might ask myself the same question with regard to my yoga practice. What would it look like if I were to "let go" of the image of the perfect triangle pose, for example? What if I were to listen to my body and do the pose in the imperfectly perfect way that is mine? That is not to say that it is not ok to always strive to do better. However, if I am always putting the image of perfection in front of me, I am surely setting myself up for failure, or at the least, disappointment. I find it much more gratifying to look upon the progress I have made in my practice. Perhaps, just for today, I will let go of the need for perfection in my practice. As I stand in my imperfect triangle pose, I will bring my attention to the breath, letting go of all tension in my physical body, freeing my thoughts and focusing on the joy my practice brings, warts and all.
All too often, the holiday season becomes a time of acquisition. The aphorism, "less is more" tends to be forgotten, as we run from store to store making sure that each person on our list gets that "perfect" gift. How freeing it would be to "let go" of that idea of the perfect holiday, with the perfect gift.
I might ask myself the same question with regard to my yoga practice. What would it look like if I were to "let go" of the image of the perfect triangle pose, for example? What if I were to listen to my body and do the pose in the imperfectly perfect way that is mine? That is not to say that it is not ok to always strive to do better. However, if I am always putting the image of perfection in front of me, I am surely setting myself up for failure, or at the least, disappointment. I find it much more gratifying to look upon the progress I have made in my practice. Perhaps, just for today, I will let go of the need for perfection in my practice. As I stand in my imperfect triangle pose, I will bring my attention to the breath, letting go of all tension in my physical body, freeing my thoughts and focusing on the joy my practice brings, warts and all.
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