Acceptance arrives with a quiet mind
Inner dialogue. You know it all too well. The conversations you have with yourself. Minute by minute. Day in and day out. The exchanges you’ve been entertaining ever since, well, you can remember.
But do we really know it? Are we truly clear on how drastically the way we interact with and relate to our selves, from being demanding to downright mean, affects our whys … and the ripple effect this has on the world?
Through the practice of yoga, we can become increasingly aware of this critic – really it’s just that sneaky ego – from the vantage point of an observer and empowered to take a stand in the name of creating and intention.
All about acceptance. A yogic concept repeated in class, acceptance seems straightforward to adopt … but not so much. Although many of us may welcome others to share experiences and are always keen to listen to new ideas, our invitation to open-ness and relinquishing of judgement often stops just short of inward application.
Checking yourself: Lack of acceptance may become apparent when we find ourselves doubting or not giving permission to our intuition OR being unable to forgive ourselves. Using phrases charged with pressure including “more,” “better,” “should” and “have to” is pretty typical, as is apologizing constantly.
Some considerations: By honestly assessing our energy, and removing any stories about capabilities, limitations and circumstances that serve as excuses, we can start from what is rather than what we want things to be. Grounding into present fosters creativity and allows for a much healthier method to nourish intentions.
Lots of mantras: Here are a few that could work … “I am perfect, whole and complete exactly as I am.” “Trust the process.” “Eff it.” Create your own iterations. If you need inspiration or ideas, consult some texts that have inspired you.
Quote to remember: “Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind. Then there is abiding in the Seer’s own form.” ― Patañjali, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Remember the practice of acceptance is exactly like yoga – and life. It’s more about the process that arriving. No matter where we encounter these personal pitfalls, we must realize hurtful communication toward self builds blockades against the motion toward whatever we’re up to in the universe – and we can choose to remove the obstacles.
Hopefully, as we develop greater personal awareness, we stumble and get stuck less frequently, we pull ourselves out of the muck quicker – because our days are not guaranteed.
Ultimately, we can choose to continue a less-than-compelling conversation with the ego, and anticipate the familiar outcome … or step into what’s possible and embrace it with all the unknowns.