Let’s face it. The transition from August to September can be dramatic for some of us – full of events that remind us of that the end of the year is on its way. September has largely become the ‘New January’ as many people are ready to begin again upon returning from a summer of experiences…at the same time there are added stresses. In the workplace this is the time of year when new jobs are commencing; schools begin with many events and activities, and with new things comes the necessity of adaptation to new people and environment. It is a time of opening or reopening projects and taking stock of where we are at this moment.
Many of us reach a point at some stage in the lifecycle of the seasons (which has a relationship to samsara – same agitation, or the karmic wheel of suffering) when we feel that enough is enough. Fed up. Overwhelmed and exhausted, like hiding under a rug.
There is a moment for all of us when we need to shift something in our life in order for life to flow. Whether it is realising that there has been too much pushing without passion or we are gripped by long term suffering enough to finally break free of old habits, in one way or another we come to a catalyst that enables us to make a change.
For those who are truly looking for a way to invoke transformation, yoga is a doorway waiting to be explored. If practiced with a willingness to observe our patterns of thoughts, words and actions, sooner or later we will know what to do do shift out of those old patterns that cause harm. What we are all ultimately looking for is Samadhi, the state of yoga where we are complete, where we miss nothing, present in and of the moment.
The catch is that many of us think we’re are ready for a change, but we simply aren’t. Staying in the suffering that is known rather than risking the unknown can seem easier sometimes. If there is determination and faith, however, if we hold onto the belief that change is possible, that Love is possible, we shed old skin and realize that we are the ones we have been waiting for. Underneath the lifetime of suffering and mental fluctuations, our natural state is who we always were, the enlightened Self.
On a last note, if you have tried yoga and it wasn’t happening for you, don’t give up! Try any mindful movement that enables you to observe your thought patterns…but don’t tune out, tune IN!