As yogis it’s our end goal to stay centered when we’re facing adversity. Yet for those of us who are still in the apprentice stage of developing our practice off the mat, we can be somewhat dependent on needing assistance, from a teacher or a fellow yogi, to find our way there. So what do we do when life has clobbered us and our foundation of support is MIA?
I’ve always thought of myself as a resourceful person but recently I went through a period of extreme doubt about something I really cared about. I was in complete upheaval, spiraling out of control. My friends were busy and none of my yoga teachers had any classes. The only aid I had was in the liquor store down the block.
I wanted to be able to pull my own rip cord and have a parachute of some sort open to slow down the plunge into outright angst. I needed help to steady my shaky state of mind.
Our beliefs in what’s possible either anchors us to staying grounded or entombs us into darkness. Sometimes we need an outside force to intervene to stop our imagination from conceiving a highly personalized rendition of a complete catastrophe scenario.
When you’re descending into the unknown, are you able to access your convictions to steady yourself? I can’t. Apparently, this is an advanced posture and I need a prop.
Thus, I’ve decided to pack an emergency credo pilot chute, and compile a list of my favorite quotes and some things I jotted down of my own to be kept somewhere accessible. Maybe this will help you start your own compilation but here’s a crucial hint, do it when you’re in a composed mood. 😉
I Believe:
Only time reveals everyone’s true essence.
The next minute, hour, or day can bring the opportunity we’ve been waiting for. It’s out there…somewhere.
Whatever I learn here and now is going to help me in the future.
If a relationship is good and strong, it’ll last. If it’s fragile, volatile, and dissolves easily it wasn’t meant to be. And only time will tell which it is.
Life will surprise us in the most amazing ways when we let go and let the universe do what it needs to do…
Each of us has a unique journey to take that’s designed for us individually. What happens to others does not mean it’s our fate as well.
Sometimes we have to wait because the universe is preparing things for the best of our future to be possible.
Other Quotes & Colloquialisms:
You get what you give.
Everything happens for a reason.
When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. ~ Paulo Coehlo
“People too weak to follow their own dreams will always find a way to discourage yours.” ~ Oprah
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” ~ Dale Carnegie
“The best students get the hardest tests.” ~ Iyanla Vanzant
“When someone truly can be trusted to see who you are and want what’s best for you, no matter your official relationship, they are family.” ~ Oprah
We need to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. ~ Paulo Coelho
“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
I also found this poem recently posted to Namaste Om’s Facebook Page:
If a sadness rises in front of you,
larger than any you have ever seen;
if an anxiety like light and
cloud-shadows moves over your hands
and over everything you do.
You must realize that
something is happening to you,
that life has not forgotten you,
that it holds you in its hand
and will not let you fall.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke