The River of Life

I was writing this email yesterday, as I was choosing not to hear information about the Inauguration in the US. In some ways I felt I was trying to put my head in the sand, but then decided it was a conscious choice not to put my energy into what was being put out into the world for this one day.

Instead, I was trying to stay focused on the idea of seeing our lives like a river, as we had talked about in my classes this week. Then it came to me, even with something that we feel so powerless as how the changes in the US will affect our lives, we can keep going with the flow, like a river. If there is an obstacle that is placed into a flow of water, at first the water is diverted around it. We know it’s there, we feel it’s resistance that it is stronger than the water that is currently flowing. Over time, the water that constantly comes in contact with the object will begin to wear it away until over time, the water itself will change that object. But if the water becomes large & forceful enough, it could even dislodge the object that is blocking its path to make an easier flow for the water once again. This may even been a new path that the water hasn’t flowed through before & this new course may be just what the river needs.

It may take time & persistence, but the river , which is just many, many drops of water brought together, can change even the most immoveable thing. The marches that are taking place all over the world, represent this idea of what can happen when many people band together with a like minded intention. Change can happen.

I truly believe, even though this is difficult, that what is happening is for a reason, so we no long just passively float down the river of life taking it’s beauty for granted. But we begin to see how we are part of the flow, & yes, there are times just to enjoy when the flow goes easy, but when we hit difficult sections, to keep moving forward knowing that every drop of water that flows though, changes the obstacle in it’s path just as the obstacle changes us. It is valid to get to solid ground & take a rest & respite, but we can’t just watch the water flow by. To live, we have to get back into the flow & be a part of all the river has to experience. In the river, we are part of a bigger experience as we are not alone in the flow, we are joined by many others & it is together that we make progress downstream. Where our end destination is, we don’t know, but we are actively participating in the experience.

So when you feel like getting off the river, don’t swim upstream, it take way too much effort to get little headway. Instead, keep going & know that if you stay aware & active, you have the tools to make it though anything or to get off the river for a while, if that is what will serve you best. But don’t stay on the side too long, let the call of the river bring you back into it’s flow, as the experiences there are what life is truly about.

Here is a cheeky little article on the analogy that life is like a river, if you want to read more.

http://www.theunlost.com/life-in-general/life-is-like-a-river/

Thank you to those of you who joined me for Yoga this week, for being part of the flow of life. For those who were not able, remember your home practice can help you to stay connected too. I hope to see you sometime soon so we can work together on how to keep moving & going with the flow.

Check out acyoga.net or yogamcc.com to see where I am teaching, or what other great classes that are out there if you need help getting back into your practice again.

PS. the Empower & Connect mini Self Care Retreat on Feb 3 only has 4 spots left. If you are still interested, here are the details again.