At the end of last year, Matt and I moved into our new home in Windsor. It was a bit of a battle to get the place, but now we are in and a new chapter is unfolding. We have gorgeous bi-fold doors in our kitchen and I love sitting here in the mornings after classes with my coffee and Nacho (the dog) watching the birds busy themselves, and looking at the contrast of the leafless and almost black trees against fresh blue skies. I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
It doesn’t take long to begin to get a little restless. It seems to be in our DNA to be constantly striving for the next “thing” or “goal”. And Spring is the perfect time of year to start planting seeds.
What is it that you desire from the upcoming months? Perhaps you want to find more time for yourself? Or maybe you are looking to make a step up the career ladder? Whatever your goal might be, Yoga can give you the tools to feel fulfilled as you work towards your goal, regardless of the outcome.
How so?
Well, in Yogic philosophy we are advised to apply ourselves fully in all we do, no matter how great or small the task. You are to carry out an activity with pure love in your heart. And then, you leave the outcome up to the universe, to God, or to whomever you might believe in. We are told to be “detached” from the outcome. That way if the outcome is positive, we remain humble, and if it is not the ideal result, we are un-affected because we enjoyed the process and because it wasn’t meant to be.
There are certain yoga postures during which we really have to learn to let go in. If you have a tight lower back and hamstrings, perhaps you find it hard to release yourself in a forward fold (Uttanasana). Or if like me your hips hold on to it all, it could be pigeon pose (Eka pada rajakapotasana) in which you find your jaw clenching a little. Equally, there are certain yoga poses that we aspire to be able to do and practically force our bodies into shapes that we aren’t ready to mould into. When this happens we are losing the purity of yoga practise. What makes something yoga is not what is achieved, but how it is done.
It is important to have goals. It is important to dream. A dream is where it all begins. But in order to be free from pain, we must learn to accept what IS, rather than worrying about how it could’ve been, or how things might come to pass.
So this Spring, whilst admiring the view from my kitchen, I plan on making a list some personal goals. I plan on nurturing my dreams with love, and then I will let the universe decide the rest for me. And I will trust that whatever will be, is exactly as it should be.
Perhaps you can find comfort in doing the same! Feel free to get in touch to share you experiences 🙂
With love,
Chloe
