How acceptance can truly transform your life.
This pandemic hit me like a weapon of mass destruction. All the wonderful plans I had crumbled, and then vanished into thin air. I struggled for a long time after; to be without a job, or to feel that there was no purpose. It was all made worse when a letter of shielding arrived a week into lockdown, presenting me with even more reasons to be worried about.
I had to dig deep into my heart and turn into my yoga practice to find comfort and peace with where I was was. It was there I found my breath again, that I held on tightly, “frozen” in front of the experience I was presented with…
The weeks passed into this pandemic and although I had found comfort into a new routine and channeled my energy into creative pursuits, I was still very anxious; anxious about going out, hand washing, my work and so on.
In this “suffering” though I learnt to be kind to myself, forgiving, take each day as it comes, accept each day as it was.
Through the practice of yoga asana and breathing though, as well as journalling and meditation I figured out I was not in control of anything. The only control I had was that of my breath, my body and my mind.
No control about other people abiding to the rules, other people lashing out, or even about my own child who simply experienced suffering during this pandemic in different ways… It was at that realisation that I was well and content..
I was at peace with where I was.… I was that… I am that… So Hum…
सो ऽहम्
So Hum is a mantra that can literally means “I am that”. It is used to centre the breath and mind, but it also reminds us, very subtly that regardless of circumstances, and what is going on around me, on a very deep level, the only thing really happening are my thoughts and my perceptions.
Taking a little bit out of context it can come to mean that I am at peace with where I am, regardless of my circumstances and this to me is a form of acceptance.
Acceptance
Acceptance has really helped me deal with this pandemic.
Every time some bad news landed I sighed and breathed and huffed and puffed (and cried), but regrouped and acknowledged my own power, my own pain, I can always do something about that… love more, be present more, empathetic and just a nicer human being… and that was easy… the rest just followed.
The wins, the love, harmony and peace. Because we live in our head and there is so much we can achieve when we start from a place of acceptance, for our circumstances, for those around us, for ourselves…
Accept
Love
Be more
BE THAT
SO HUM…
