The Winds of Change

Botanists say that trees need the powerful March winds to flex their trunks and main branches, so the sap is drawn up to nourish the budding leaves. Perhaps we need the gales of life in the same way, though we dislike enduring them.
--Jane Truax

Change. It comes in all kinds of packages. The truth is simple in that life is in a constant state of flux. At times we welcome change, other times we brace against it with all of our quills raised in fear. At its best change in exhilarating...a baby born, a goal reached, a milestone event in life celebrated, a relationship realized or renewed. At it's worst, change can feel shocking...a loved one passes, a difficult diagnosis, a relationship ended, a job lost. In either case, any change brings us to uncertainty, and uncertainty can be unsettling.

So what makes the difference between facing change with resistance, mired in fear and despair, versus accepting and embracing change with grace and fluidity? Can we apply our practice so that we can accept the inevitable turbulent winds of life with equanimity? Can we relax into the gusts, allow the winds to carry us to an unknown place and trust that we will land in the best place for our journey even if the landing isn't always soft?

Nature has much to teach us if we become astute observers. This time of year we expect unpredictable weather shifts, soaking rains and gusty winds. There is a reason for everything...without the rain and the wind, new growth would be impossible. All of nature answers the call from winter to spring...flowers bend in the wind, trees bud with new growth despite the unpredictable temperature swings, animals don't drown in the rain.

There is great value in learning to take change in stride. Whether the changes we face are celebrated or difficult, we have to be willing to accept both since it's all part of the same dynamic, two ends of the same stick. Perhaps it is the difficult changes we face that call us to the best parts of ourselves, force us to draw up our sap so that new growth can blossom.

We can't harness the wind or hold on to the rain with a closed fist. Life doesn't always give us comfortable breathing room, but if we can stop grasping for control of the uncontrollable, we can learn to float through it all. It is possible to separate our feelings from our response to them. There is a difference between our base emotions and the reactive emotions that get piled up on top from fear or uncertainty taking hold. If we practice present centered awareness, we can see more clearly the difference. Relax and simply sit with what is...without labeling it as bad or good...practice being with what is without judging.

It's important to remember that in the midst of radical transformation, our true nature remains unchanged. Through the practices of asana, breath work, concentration and meditation we can soothe the discomforts brought on by change. When we nurture and cleanse our bodies and cultivate a calm mind, we free up energy and are more easily able to tap in to our innate wisdom and intuition. We can rest in to these practices and trust that they can help carry us. Our spiritual Self is unchanging... Peace and Love and Joy are always available, consistent, enduring.

If the winds of fortune are temporarily blowing against you, remember that you can harness them and make them carry you toward your definite purpose, through the use of your imagination.
--Napolean Hill

May your find peace in your hearts and dance in the wind!

With Love and Gratitude

Cyndi