One thing that continues to pique my curiosity is the way in which different approaches yield similar outcomes in different people. My wish is that we can all continuously question our attachments to specific ways of doing and being, and instead leave room for wonder, for learning and integrating new information, for differing lived experiences, and for the inevitability of change.
I’ve generally stopped avoiding the things I can’t do. At some point, I realized that my inclination to declare “I can’t do that because…(insert excuse here)” was often a reflection of an all-or-nothing mindset. Most things aren’t all-or-nothing though, and figuring out which aspect of a “can’t” task I in fact, CAN do, yields great positive effect for me.
“Time is not a constant, it’s a concept,” he says. Pulling up the deep roots of injustice and oppression in this world so that something more beautiful might take its place, has been the work of many people over many lifetimes, and will be the work of many people in many lifetimes beyond me. I may not get to see the world I long for, yet I must commit to making that effort a practice, and a non-negotiable.
Essentially, it is in the humility of coming to practice again and again, without promise of reward, that I can cultivate the skills and resilience needed to stand squarely in the face of the challenges, heartbreaks, and injustices at hand, and to meet them with presence, wisdom, and action. It is practice that builds capacity to simultaneously hold despair and joy, anger and love. Yoga is not something to be checked off a list of things to do in order to be “good” and achieve perfection. Yoga asks that I meet discomfort with curiosity, over and over again, so that when the shit hits the fan, I can be there for it with faculties intact, and with a heart filled with love and compassion even as it breaks into a million pieces. Yoga is what reminds me that I belong to all of life, and that all of life belongs to me, so that when I meet others across lines of difference to speak and receive truths about harm and pain, I remain present, amidst my own discomfort, and claim accountability for my role in the brokenness and also in mending the brokenness through a collective reimagining of ourselves and of our systems.
“Maybe my dharma — my purpose, the way in which I contribute to the whole — can include my experiences of pain, injury, and illness, rather than being separate from and in spite of those experiences. “
Creativity that is born of a desire to serve my students and their learning, or to facilitate self-awareness and self-revelation, is subtly yet entirely different than novelty for the sake of novelty. I believe this kind of creativity includes critical thinking, overlaying a grounded foundation of skill and knowledge, with a spark made of heart, innovation, and experience. This is novelty with a purpose.
Your vote only matters if you cast it, and it’s way easier to decide how to vote when you engage with and talk about the issues and the candidates. I hope we can support one another in that effort instead of expressing annoyance about friends and colleagues getting “too political.” It’s time we all become too political. Maybe that’s how politics changes.
This article popped up on social media with a nice, incendiary title, but I think it brings up important food for thought for clinicians, yoga teachers, and educators alike….
“The heart of America exists without boundary. It is present in the ways in which we are united as beings sharing space and time; the ways in which we love, and inspire one another, and hold onto the hope of boundless possibility time and time again. Maybe this concept smacks of idealist dribble in the face of the current sociopolitical climate, but when idealism is supported with action, dreams can become reality. Because honestly, without hope, there is no America.”
In order to stay healthy, we must take a more holistic perspective, recognizing that the body works in an infinite series of energetic, chemical, and physical interactions amongst systems. And instead of dwelling on fear of illness, frailty, and breakdown, remember that you are adaptable, resilient, and fully capable of living in good health.
To everyone that has helped me physically, emotionally, financially, energetically, or in any other way imaginable, my gratitude runs deep and untempered. No gesture was too small or forgotten. I am so fortunate to feel this kind of gratitude because I know that it will only move me to do as much as I can for as many people as I can in the future. You have taught me what support looks like, and it looks like love.
