Painting by Sue-Anne

What do you do when your world falls apart?

In our daily lives, many of us don't realize how much we take for granted until, all of a sudden, the things we are so attached to are no longer there. Be it losing your job, finding out someone close to you has a life threatening illness, or having your relationship crumble. What do you do?

Having lived through a personal crisis a few months ago, I found myself, at times, needing to completely withdraw and then to talk and talk to all who would listen. I am so grateful for family and friends who were supportive.

I also threw myself into the tasks involved in moving on. I have always been a type A personality — good at keeping busy.

This can be useful but it can also distract us from what I believe is the most important part of the process, that of feeling the feelings. Come back to the present moment, be with the anger, sorrow, despair, allow the tears to flow and fully experience all the emotions that arise. This is where yoga can help, when life as we know it falls apart.

For myself, I spent a week-end at the yoga camp in Val Morin, and that helped me to shift my energy, de-stress, relax and sleep better.

I try to remember that everything happens for a reason, and to ask myself, what is the lesson to be learnt from this? Also, to know that now that this has fallen apart, something much better is on the horizon.

There is a saying, "Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us."

In the middle of my crisis I realized that everything that had happened to me up until this point had given me enough strength to be able to handle this.

Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart, Heart Advice for Difficult Times is a wonderful book that offers many suggestions. It was hard for me to choose only a few paragraphs for this newsletter.

Room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy

"Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart."

"Healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy."

"When we think that something is going to give us pleasure we don't know what's really going to happen. When we think something is going to bring us misery we really don't know. Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all."

"The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that's swell. In fact, that way of looking at things keeps us miserable. Thinking that we can find some lasting pleasure and avoid pain is what in Buddhism is called samsara, a hopeless cycle that goes round and round endlessly and causes us to suffer greatly."

"Sticking with uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic — this is the spiritual path. Getting the knack of catching ourselves, of gently and compassionately catching ourselves, is the path of the gentle warrior."

With each overwhelming obstacle that we encounter in life, we can run and hide, keep ourselves busy, or go into our addictions. Most addictions stem from the inability to face the fear and feelings that we may be trying to suppress. Meditation or yoga affords us a place to slow down and see what is there. To allow the natural process of different emotions to emerge, arise and pass away. We may use the experience to allow for growth and change, realizing that the path is the goal.

Spring Yoga Session

Classes begin March 22nd

Please call to reserve your place, 577-1963, or e-mail me at harmoni@cam.org.

Free trial yoga classes in NDG

Two trial classes will be held on Tuesday April 12th at 7:40 PM and Thursday April 14th at 6:30 PM. If you know anyone who might be interested in coming to try out a class please forward the URL for this newsletter to them. If you no longer wish to be on my mailing list please send me an e-mail, with unsubscribe on the subject line.

I look forward to seeing you!

Sue-Anne