The summer solstice has passed, the weather has turned, there are new fruits and veggies in season, fewer people are getting sick from Covid-19, the lock-down restrictions are slowly lightening up, all whilst the Black Lives Matter movement is becoming more seen and heard, and gaining more support. Change is happening, but nothing is permanent; the change will continue to change and life will evolve.
"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words, "And this too, shall pass away." How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!" Abraham Lincoln
Everything in life is temporary, a fact we know, but we often forget, for most of us fall under the influence of daily givens that we take for granted. The sun rising presenting us with a new day, our loved ones being around, and the economy still ticking over, providing us with our technical and material needs. As impermanence is a fact of life, we must remember each moment matters and each choice and action in those moments matters.
"When you truly embrace your human impermanence, you connect with the power you have, and influence you have, over the time you have." Steve Maraboli
New ideas, approaches, methods, actions are vital ingredients in navigating our way through the impermanence of life, and one hopes that growth, wisdom, and evolution are the by-products. A blend of intelligence, wisdom, intuition, and creativity are often required to deal with the same (but different) new temporary experiences.
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." Heraclitus
Resisting change or acceptance of impermanence, doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results, or remaining in a fixed or stagnant mindset are not helpful or healing methods in being human in this temporary life. You’ll benefit more from taking the following approaches…
"Always say "yes" to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say "yes" to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you." Eckhart Tolle
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." Alan Watts
"Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it." W. Somerset Maugham
However your day may be unfolding; however your life circumstances may currently look, embrace the temporary nature of life, its fleeting quality, and cherish what is most important, this present moment.
"Time isn't precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is." Eckhart Tolle
"Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting." Richard Paul Evans
"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." Rabindranath Tagore
If you find yourself grasping onto loved ones or clinging onto those beautiful moments, replace them with moments of appreciation. Make an effort to express that gratitude and make kindness and generosity a priority.
If the present moment is ever challenging and painful, connect to your inner strength, courage, and guiding light and remain hopeful, for this moment shall pass. Be thankful for the obstacles presented to you, for how you will grow from the experience, and for the unknown blessings already on their way.
"Nothing endures but change." Heraclitus
As you continue on your yoga journey, there will be times when it’s hard to find the time to keep up a regular asana and meditation practice, and there will be times when it’s top and tailing your day, taking you deeper on your spiritual path. Try not to become too attached to wherever you are at in your practice remembering it is ‘practice’, not a perfect performance, and it’s all temporary. Every time you sit down to meditate or practice, it will be a different experience. What you could do one day, you might not be able to do the next. Injuries may be present, your headspace will change, as will your approach and intention to the practice.
Our yoga and meditation practice is a perfect lesson in impermanence if we stay open to listening, responding, and learning in each new moment. So, keep open, keep flowing, keep evolving, and keep un-attached to the outcome for it will always pass and always change.
Peace + Love
Amy