Messengers

I have recently returned to a regular yoga practice thanks to an unlimited summer yoga pass at the lovely blue lotus studio. Besides the incredible gift to myself to attend three to four classes a week, I have been reminded how powerful it is to just embrace what is accessible that day. Pigeon Pose not happening today? I’m rocking a gentle Figure Four stretch instead…

A yogi leading a class is a rather obvious teacher of awesome and useful nuggets of info.

What about the less obvious of our teachers? I mean the really less obvious ones: The antagonistic neighbor, our children, the irritating co-worker, the pattern we keep repeating and wish that we wouldn’t.

What if every experience and interaction were regarded as an opportunity to grow, to receive wisdom or guidance, to be supported, to show compassion, to practice being calm?

I have been getting curious for the last couple of years: When experiencing a less than pleasant interaction or experience, can I notice if there is any shift or choice I can make towards staying calm and present? I Ask: What am I learning here? What is the message here? 

Some days, staying with this intention is easier than others.

Any little steps towards opening our mind and heart to the teacher… the messenger… in the midst of some conflict or challenge will be beneficial. Even when making little steps, we still make progress.

Consider: The more challenging it is to move through the emotions that come up while intending to stay grounded in a situation, the more opportunity for growth. What if I can, even for a moment, become an observer of what is happening in my mind?

Ask: What’s the lesson in drenching the interior of my car after leaving the sunroof open on a night of torrential storms? Locking my keys in my car at my kid’s school? Losing my patience in the moment with one of my kids. Or ultimately, what’s the message in grumpy frustration and beating myself up for the choices that led to the aforementioned moments?

You might be thinking, “Okay, what’s deeper lesson about flooding your car from above?”

Well, here’s what I learned and experienced:

• It’s just a car. So what if it is the most valuable thing I own besides my house.
• I can stay calm and trust that this is all going to be okay. There is no way that I could contently be mopping up my car if this had happened three years ago.  I would have been bitter and pissed off about my “stupidity”.
• Cars dry really fast in the sun with the sunroof open.

The most valuable “teacher” of all that was the realization that I have developed considerable “chill out” qualities (a.k.a. mindfulness) over the last four or five years. I wasn’t beating myself up and I truly didn’t care if anyone judged me for leaving the roof open. It was a moment of “well, that just happened”. Truly.

Let’s keep having the curiosity to take a step back in the next challenging or even simply perplexing moment we encounter. Open your heart to hear the message or the lesson meant for you.  I have complete confidence that even a little step in that direction is possible for you.

Peace be with you,

Erin Tracy