Starting anew…is one of the secrets of living a good life. Thus far 2017 has been a little rough. Two serious infections, weeks of bed rest, and I have yet to have a day this year where I have felt completely well. Add in some re-tenderized shoulders and I have been feeling my age lately. Needless to say, my yoga practice has taken a hit. I need to start anew after nearly twenty-six years of practicing. I need the wisdom of a fresh start again and again. Yoga has always and will always meet me wherever I am…that’s part of its love promise to its students. I have been practicing intermittently but I haven’t been starting anew. I have been trying to maintain and hold on over some rough waters…a losing battle. Surrender and begin again.
I have to say this morning it was easier. The day was fresh, the sky was blue, and the sun was shining. I hate to say it, but it’s harder this afternoon. The sun is gone; the clouds have snuck in; and a Sunday afternoon melancholy is taking form. And yet a smile breaks across my face because I know how to start anew. I know what lies ahead. When the old meets the new, there is always heartbreak at first. Then you let go of what ails you and it begins again. I have been here before.
One of my favorite stories of surrender came from a healthcare professional in one of our trainings. She was having a horrible day. She came home to her two-year-old daughter who was having an epic meltdown, the kind of meltdown that, as a parent, you pray never happens in public. This mom found herself getting angry, a sensation that is dangerous to have around a misbehaving toddler. In that moment, she remembered our training and utterly surrendered with her body. In the middle of her kitchen floor with her daughter still screaming, she lay down on her back, spread-eagled, and didn’t move for moments on end. It took some time but daughter suddenly stopped crying, lay down next to her, and spread-eagled in solidarity. After a few more moments, the daughter raised her head and asked, “Mama, are you okay?”
This is the quintessential moment – the mother and the little girl. Starting anew is not starting over. It is not an act of tolerance. It is realizing the power of surrender, of allowing things to land and thus begin again. Surrendering is not an act of submission. It is an act of innocence. When there is nothing left to do, innocence must lead. I will never forget that story. I love the toddler’s sudden ability to let go of whatever was ailing her, and in that moment of quiet, to realize that she was not the center of the Universe, that her mom had feelings too. Consciousness.
I am not kidding you…the sun just came out as I am writing the end of this blog. I am ready to move forward, maybe even with a little attitude. My yoga practice will be just fine. In fact, it will remind of all that I need to know. I wonder if there is somewhere in your life that you can start anew….a love relationship perhaps, a relentless job, a stubborn family member. Remember the little girl, start anew, and be the frog.