3.21.2013

The times are changing.




It's official: Spring is here! 
The seasons such as Spring and Autumn always carry such an interesting energy. They are the seasons of transition, the guides that prepare us for the two very different experiences of winter and summer. This is the in-between time. 
Life often mirrors this in-between time. As much as change is an inherent part of life, it's not uncommon to find ourselves in the midst of it. Where one foot is in what was and the other is in what is to come, we find ourselves tentatively straddling the two worlds. 
With the changing of the seasons, the change that is happening externally in our environments inevitably influences the changes that are occurring within our internal landscapes, within our Self’s. This is the rhythm of nature. This is the rhythm of Being. 

At times, change is exciting (a new relationship, a new home, a new adventure) and other times, well, it's not so welcomed (illness, loss of a pet or loved one). There’s the age-old adage that the only thing we know for sure is that things change. 

One of the ways I like to conceptualize yoga is: relationship. On our yoga mats, we can experience a connection between body, breath and mind. Through a yoga practice, you can explore the connection between your breath and your thought patterns (and vice versa). You may discover that the relationship you have with your Self influences the relationship you have with others. And how you relate to other influences how others relate to you. It's all about connection. 

Through yoga practice, we also become aware of the relationship between our thoughts, actions, and experience. It can be as simple as noticing how your posture influences the quality of your breath, how a small change in the placement of your hands makes a challenging pose easier, or how a smile can brighten your day or someone else's. This process of noticing, of generating insight, seems simple. But over time, as you carry this art of awareness into everything you do, every choice will be better informed, every action more intentional, and every response more insightful.


With this pivotal timing of the changing of seasons it’s to our advantage to harness the change that's in the air to support us to make intentional and positive changes for ourselves. What is important when we find ourselves in the midst of change and transition is that we are able to flow with it, accepting the different fluctuations and moods that the shifting currents bring. If we are able to flow with life as it moves and transforms we can remember that the real growth happens within these changes. And just as Spring will always become summer, so to will life take us to where we need to be.

Gandhi said it: be the change you wish to see in the world. 



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