On this path of yoga, obstacles will surely come your way. Not to slow you down, but for you to find out who and what you are. They provide fuel for your journey. At first when they come, they are major annoyances. You cry, wail; “how am I ever going to get over this”? but the dust settles down, and you find a way, and then your’e back doing what you should be doing.
There is a certain, quiet steadiness that comes from tackling these problems that is very beneficial to your whole being.
Before yoga, I was an emotional train wreck. I would cry at the smallest problems that came my way. When many problems come your way, and slowly but surely you are able to solve them, an emotional steadiness and stability comes your way. Like being strong in the midst of a storm around you.
Remember the golden rule of yoga, what you do/think/act for others is what you get for yourself. For many years, I’ve been working hard at planting good seeds and trying my best to do good deeds for others. Let me tell you about my current mess, and how it’s all unfolding as it should.
I purchased a house to renovate in College Hill in early spring. It needs extensive renovation, front porch is sagging, back deck is gone, possible foundation issues, etc. In fact, first thing we had to do was replace the basement steps because they had rotted out. Slowly we started working on the front porch, supporting the roof, to replace pillars. In that time frame, my husband fell, and hasn’t been walking. So, my world became very small, as I cared for him, and the studio. Very slowly he is starting to feel better. When I came back to the property, the city had put a citation on my front door, with a very large fine; mow the thigh high grass, put back the pillars and fix the front decking and siding.
My first thought, was, great, more problems, but I know the power of showing up even to small problems. (I kind of want to run and hide, and let someone else deal with the problems; I know this about myself: don’t we all want to do this?). I loaded up all lawn tools in the scooby doo, and heading down there. Mowing thigh high grass is quite difficult, and even though my front lawn is small, the mower died and died, as I restarted, and restarted. Sweating, cursing, and feeling discontented, at one point, a car with 3 people slowing stopped in front of the house, everyone staring at me. They were neighbors, who parked the car, and came over with their lawn mower and trimmer, 2 of them. It’s that kind of kindness, that takes me by surprise, that makes me cry now. I don’t cry at the problems coming my way, but at the help by others that gives me strength. I know this came because at some point I have helped others with something.
You might think the yoga is not working, when all you do is good for others, and in return get more problems than you can solve. It is because you are Knowing what you are doing, as you are doing it. You are helping others because it feels really good, and also you know it will ease problems in your future.
The next time you are doing something good for others, stop and think about what you are doing. That is such a powerful method, because most of the time we just do good for others because we think it’s the right thing to do, not thinking about planting good seeds for our future.
This is the difference between planting a good seed such as a honey suckle, that will last a short time, verses an oak tree, which could last hundreds of years. When you plant the oak tree, you think about what you are doing, as you are doing it. Actually, you think very hard, like a dog concentrates as you wave a favorite treat before him.
Think about how your small act of kindness is helping others, and they go on to help others, and it becomes this amazing thing, a thing like that changes the world for all of us. But it starts with you, and your yoga. It’s pretty amazing how working on your body, mind and spirit can change the world. It can. But first it starts with you.
See you on the mat,
Paula
