Personal Approach
Can you be happy in the rain happening around you?
Sadly, most of these actions are re-actions we carry with us from day to day, year to year, even though so many of them no longer serve us and can be inappropriate for our present circumstances.
In our Tues. night yoga class we had an interesting focus this week:
"It is my personal approach that creates the climate." Does this bring up pictures of all of us sitting in lotus, concentrating all of our effort and energy on trying to bring the sun out on a cloudy day? This is not really what we were doing, but I can see how you might think that after reading our quote for this week.
This second line of Von Goethe's quote taken out of context, or taken literally, could sound like you are trying to be the ultimate weather person! But, if we look deeper, we realize he's not talking about the weather at all, but to our personal reaction to the things happening around us. Can you be happy in the rain happening around you? (I know a lot of people who love the weather when it rains, but for this analogy it fits!) We would all like to be in control of our surroundings, the people in our lives, our jobs and traffic. It would be wonderful to have this kind of power for even an hour...can you imagine it? But what about when it's someone else's turn? - Not so great then!
A few weeks ago I was out with my fiance and some friends on our motorcycles. I had planned to be home by 8:30pm to rest after a busy week, take care of my dogs and to start a mountain of laundry. We had arrived at 4:30, and walked around to see the sights and sat down to eat around 6:00... when it started raining. If you don't ride there's something you need to know...rain on a motorcycle feels like bullets, let alone the fact that your visibility drops to zero, you freeze and the traction is significantly less than desirable. I have never ridden in the rain myself, on the back with Bob - yes, but not on my own. So let's just say I was not happy about my surroundings at this moment in time. But, can you be happy while the rain is happening around you?
We found some shelter (an awning at a Marathon Station) and waited for the rain to let up. I made a phone call and found a friend who went to my house to let the puppies out (Thanks Amanda!) and decided that I was just going to have to concede defeat on my plans for the evening. (The mountain of laundry wasn't going anywhere!) It truly is amazing what happens when you decide to be happy anyway. When I decided to relax it had a noticeable effect on the climate of our group. We played a game my brother and I invented years ago - see who could recognize make and model of the oncoming car first. We had some interesting conversations with the other people stopping to fill up and even met some very nice people from Columbus.
When we finally left around 10:30 for the hour and forty-five minute ride home, let's just say my anxiety about my surroundings was back in full force. The rain had let up to a drizzle, but it was still just as wet and so were the roads. So I had a conversation with myself.
"OK yoga teacher, you are creating a lot of tension through your body. How much of it can you let go of?" Now, I realize that a certain amount of tension is necessary to be safe in such conditions, you want to be alert and vigilant in watching the road, but all the tension through my arms, back and belly was not necessary... so I decided to let it go. I wish I could tell you that I made this decision and it left and that was it! It's not that easy, it's a process. But, I was able to create a different approach to my personal climate by monitoring my reaction.
So this week, I invite you to examine what your personal approach is when your rain comes.
I guess what it boils down to is the only thing we really ever have control over is our own actions. Sadly, most of these actions are re-actions we carry with us from day to day, year to year, even though so many of them no longer serve us and can be inappropriate for our present circumstances. So I ask you, are you re-acting or deciding through your day today? There is no right or wrong answer, I just ask you to investigate what the truth is for you. St Francis of Assisi once said, "Your experience of the world cannot change, until you become mindful of how you react."
Yoga brings awareness into our lives, whether it is in our responses to someone cutting us off in traffic, being fully present with our breath, being able to relax in down dog or under a canopy at a Marathon station...It is our personal approach that creates the climate.
Namaste- Cat