Spring and Equanimity

There have been days lately where the newspaper has gone straight in the recycle bin without even a glance so as to avoid compassion fatigue or emotional burnout. Things can impact us moment by moment, and with each of those actions we experience a reaction. Finding space between those two things is a powerful tool and a key for finding peace of mind and happiness.

The theme of yoga teacher training last weekend was equanimity and a radical acceptance to experiences as they come up. A yoga practice, waiting in a long checkout line, and an intermittent internet connection when we’ve got deadlines, all give us an opportunity to notice how small things in our experience cause a reaction. Having an awareness to the situation gives us an opportunity to accept things as they are and let go. This acceptance allows us to stop trying to fix things long enough to see what’s really in front of us.

We find stillness in a yoga practice. Periodically coming back to the top of the mat in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and joining the palms in Anjali Mudra, we find an equal standing, or Samastitihi. When our lives feel out of control, even a tiny bit, it’s those moments of equal standing that bring us back to center without changing who we are.

When we see there’s very little we can change we learn to let go. Cultivating a deep sense of equanimity allows us to  accept things just as they are. Welcome the weeds without mourning the falling flowers. I hope that with the change of the season you find moments of stillness, and to be patient with whatever arises.