Autumn is my favorite season of the year because I get this yen to breathe some life into my life. There’s a tangible promise of a special, fresh start that seems to be in the air.
Do you feel it too?
Or maybe, based on the circumstances of your life, starting anew and feeling refreshed may sound too good to be true. As fast as life moves now and as uncertain as things can be, igniting or creating new opportunities can feel out of reach or impossible in the face of “what is”.
So the question becomes… How – in any given moment – do we leverage or transform the reality of “what is” so that we are happily down the road to having what we want?
I realized today that my yoga practice held some answers for me. Now, admittedly, I am an imperfect yet earnest practitioner of yoga. But, over the years, this practice of moving my body has always had the extra added benefit of waking me up to some profound & practical ah-hah moment life lessons.
From all that I have studied to live a more conscious life, I already knew that transforming a difficult reality was not about resisting & fighting what’s not working. I also knew that shifting a familiar & comfortable reality was not about cruising along in the mediocre zip code of the known. From the proverbial school of hard knocks, I definitely knew that effort and striving to make something new and extraordinary happen wasn’t the answer either. Something else was being called for to break through into something juicy and new.
In a light bulb moment, here’s the 2 gems I got from yoga today:
- There’s unthought-of potential in non-attachment to what I think is good.
- There’s authentic freedom in non-resistance to what I think is bad.
I got that there was a sweet spot beyond attachment to the good and resistance to the bad that quite literally opened the door to possibilities for greater flexibility, innovation and the holy grail of better results.
If I resisted and struggled with a hard yoga pose, I noticed myself grumbling internally. I sometimes judged myself harshly and also judged the teacher. More often than not, I found myself doing the pose in a way that wasn’t doing me any good or trying to force a pose to the point of falling out of it and possibly hurting myself. But if I relaxed and did the best I could, it changed everything. I was more fully in the moment – not lost in the internal stories of unkind, limiting self talk or blame. I was free to try something new. I often found myself flowing into the pose in surprising ways. I hadn’t squandered the moment. I hadn’t missed the opportunity for something unexpected, real and beneficial to happen.
If I become attached to feeling good about an easier yoga pose, sometimes I can get lazy and distracted. My mind wanders and I don’t show up fully to reap the full gifts of the pose practiced with focus. I don’t live up to my potential and I don’t stretch beyond what I know. But truly engaging with the pose and mindfully surrendering to what’s possible, I often found my stretches deepening and my balance strengthening…again with surprising results and long range benefits. Sometimes I even achieved a whole new level of mastery with a pose.
I know this seems to be about doing yoga better but really these are awarenesses that can be applied directly to life.
We live in a society that says push, make it happen, rush, get ‘er done no matter the cost. My yoga inspired wisdom flies somewhat in the face of all that.
Yes…action is called for but not from a place of attaching to an outcome or resisting & fighting what’s not working. Rather the impetus to take action is based on clear intention, following trusted internal guidance and positive alignment. When it’s inspired vs. forced action, a better outcome is guaranteed.
Really and truly…you have nothing to lose by being willing to try a new, more elegant game.
The game becomes this:
- Stop running from what you think is hard…stop trying to force something to happen…stop languishing…stop playing it small.
- Instead, show up for yourself, lean into what’s going on in your life and mine all that you experience for all it’s worth. There’s gold in them thar’ challenging hills and valleys. There’s valuable richness in taking the time to celebrate, honor & appreciate what’s working.
- Claim what’s possible by providing a context in consciousness for new innovative thinking and being. Right action becomes simple and self evident.
- And finally, and perhaps most importantly…receive, Receive, RECEIVE !!!! New fresh opportunities and a new way of being will flow to you…but it’s crucial to have the willingness to open the door and let it all in.
Find the courage to embrace What IS to create what’s possible.
And…hallelujah…you just might find yourself living life in the sweet spot.
Wishing you one sweet moment after another…
Love,
Max
