Life is a journey. Yeah, it's a cliche but there's a lot of truth contained in those words. Not only literally - quite obviously we travel from birth to death - but figuratively as well, with our experiences helping to shape and form not only our personalities but our belief systems as well.
For me the interesting stuff comes in learning from those experiences and in seeing the obstacles as a path to personal growth, as a necessary requirement to becoming the best possible version of ourselves. How we respond to those experiences and life lessons, how we choose to show up - either as a victim or as an empowered individual - shapes not only our lives but also the lives of those close to us. Shit happens. Some times it's good and some times it's not so good, or indeed, down right bloody awful. It is easy to become lost in the sensations and emotions that arise when obstacles are placed in our way, or when something goes wrong. If we decide to become the victim, it shapes our perceptions of ourselves, our friends and families and of the world around us. We may choose to chant the mantra of "only bad things happen to me" or similar, or perhaps we choose to go through life feeling sorry for ourselves and expecting the worse, and in return, perpetuate that myth. As the seers say, we manifest our thoughts into reality.
But there is an alternative of course. We can use the negative experiences and the obstacles as a path to growth. We can learn from the lessons life throws us. Sometimes those lessons can be hard to see and so we repeat the mistakes until light is shed on what it is we are meant to learn. But the point is, that there is always a lesson to be learnt, and often the harder the experience is, the greater the lesson. It takes introspection though, and a quiet and stable mind. Slow, mindful Moon style Hatha yoga practices focusing on forward folds and twists are great for developing the kind of inner stability needed, and of course a daily dose of meditation. Once the internal chatter and self-limiting thoughts can be controlled, then Purusha, the Mighty One, the watcher of the thoughts, can be accessed. And from here all is possible. Those lessons will begin to show themselves, and your true potential will begin to unfold. Suddenly, those obstacles and negative experiences don't seem so bad. In fact, they begin to be welcomed as an opportunity to learn and grow and ultimately, to transform.
