I fall in my yoga practice. A lot.
Just like falling out of a yoga pose, when things fall apart in life it hurts. But eventually the dust settles and lessons from the fall are learned.
Out of devastation comes growth. Out of ruin comes awareness. Out of loss comes incredible gain.
Even after the unnecessary is blown to bits by uncontrollable circumstances, it’s funny how old habits rear their heads. It is so easy to slip back into their warm, sticky, familiar embrace.
It’s painful how relationships we believed to be helpful were the very things draining us of energy and love.
What’s even more fun? Admitting you messed up. Looking at yourself with honest eyes and seeing the cracks. The innumerable, undeniable cracks that were brought about by life tossing that fragile ego of yours onto the ground again and again, until you no longer rely on it to define you.
You participated in the fall willingly. Because of your desire for approval, achievement, success and forward movement you raced ahead down a highway you had no business on. You didn’t even have a driver’s licence. Hell, you were blind folded.
Maybe you can relate to this. The process of falling down. The path of ruination and seeming despair.
But you know what’s even more frustrating than the ruin itself? Do you know what is so ironically painful it ends up being cosmically hilarious??
It is the stunningly beautiful new life that comes forth from the ruin.
No matter how beautiful this new life is, it’s a kick in the teeth, and a big huge “I told you so” from the powers that be.
The knee slapper we can add to this?? This new life is usually, almost always, exactly what we needed.
Damn it….
I wish I were prone to acceptance like I’m prone to crave caffeine and sugar. Wouldn’t that be great?? To gobble up this new life like a warm and crumbly cookie? But truthfully, it’s an acquired taste. A part of me still misses the flavor of my old life. The oatmeal raisin goodness I loved so much. Even though my new life is 70% dark chocolate chunks in a glorious oat and cacoa nib infused batter.
We still crave the old.
This post is a compilation of metaphors involving cars and baked goods that can easily be summed up in one sentence:
“Things fall apart for a reason.”
Just because things fall down does not mean they are bad or useless. It is a reminder that change is constant. My yoga practice these days seems to be learning how to accept the fall and be okay with change.
Pretty sure I’m going to spend the rest of my life practicing the fall.
