Changes happen... Its part of nature

On Saturday I taught a class at Sugar Space (9-10:30). I talked about how often I close my mind and I think that things will never change and instead always stay the same. A very fatal way of looking at the world and one that is totally inaccurate because this universe is fluid and is always changing.

For example, I've been staring at a hole in the ceiling of our new house, sigh, thinking this is always going to be here. Or its the middle of summer here in SLC, UT with average temperatures around 95 degrees. I assume that's how it will always be (until fall) and then I wake up to go on a hike and it is pouring rain and thundering. Or ill be in a fight with my husband over something stupid and I think this is how our relationship is going to be now, and a few hours later every thing is fine, Or ill be in a yoga class trying to do a pose which I believe is entirely impossible for me to do.

When I instruct certain poses in class I swear I can hear some of my students eye balls rolling around in their heads and their minds saying well I wont ever be able to do this pose...and it is sooooo cool and an amazing gift to see those students continue to practice regularly and see their skill ability and confidence improve and see them perform the pose that before made their eyes roll and now they maybe can or can not do the pose completely but they have improved and are strong and stable and proud.

One thing I love about the yoga practice is it is called practice. It isn't called perfect. Or "if you arnt good when you start you never will be good". Its called practice. As long as you show up to your mat on a regular basis and push yourself but not to hard you will be able to do poses that before you could only dream about.

I used to find myself in awe and in some jealousy when I would admire the strength of some yogis and their dedication. Not to mention their ability to fall upside down into a handstand or forearm balance. I say fall upside down because they did not kick and hop around to get inverted instead they would float up and it looked like they were falling upside down. I thought that would never be me! I would never be strong, stable, dedicated. I would always be weak, off balance, with my mind racing at 100 miles per hour. However now a few years later I am much stronger, stable, and focused. Now I can kick up to handstand in the middle of the room and hold it for a minute or two. I NEVER thought I would be able to do that.

Take a moment to pause and breath, maybe even close your eyes. Think about your practice and whether you have been practicing for 3 days or 30 years think about how your practice has evolved for example how poses that you thought you would never be able to do are now doable. Or feelings to have in a pose which you never thought would come like feeling flexible, or strong now are a part of your practice. Remind the deepest part of your heart that everything is fluid and everything is in a flux of chance so when the thought comes that "it will always be that way" "or I will never be able to do that" remember if you continue to practice or work toward something or patch the hole in the ceiling you'll get more in the direction of the change you want to see. In my experience the changes I see are always slightly different then the way I plan them in my head but they are wonderful never the less.