Make Peace with Change

The theme of the last yoga class I taught was Santosha, which is a Sanskrit word for contentment. Contentment, which is neither complacency nor settling, is a feeling as much as an act of positive acceptance; it’s an action without resentment, and the ability to see and appreciate the silver lining in difficult situations. I recently came across a Jay Shetty video with a similar message: our life is a roller-coaster and it’s meant to be that way. Change is the only constant and it’s futile to resist it. It doesn’t mean that we should accept injustice. Instead, it calls us to take inventory of what is without judgment, so that we can determine whether in this particular instant we are better served by taking action or letting ourselves fully feel the weight of the moment, accepting that perhaps this one is not on us. While we cannot always control difficult things that happen to us, deep within we have a reservoir of insurmountable strength, if we only learn how to access it. And when we do, we can use this inner strength for good, and we can affect positive change no matter what circumstances befall us. Soon enough, heaviness lifts and everything shifts… These waves will vary in intensity and duration, but we can be sure that they will continue, for as long as we are alive, creating and recreating us as we move through this life’s journey.