At the start of January our focus, shifts to the promise of the New Year, which leads to new years resolutions, plans for betterment, lifestyle changes. Our new year marks the perceived start point in the cycle of the seasons, this cycle being just one of many that exist in all of life, each day is a cycle, each breath, our lives are filled with these life cycles, of beginnings, middles and endings. On both the macrocosmic and microcosmic levels, there are continual births, lives, deaths and rebirths, in everything from the cells in our bodies to the universes in the cosmos.
Whereas in our society and culture, we tend to focus on the big new occassions, yoga points to each moment being new, each in breath is a new beginning, each exhalation is an ending, even as we project ideas of permanence onto life, the reality if we examine it, is that nothing is permanent, nothing remains the same. Each moment, situation, breath is entirely unique, not to be repeated. really feeling this changes our disposition towards it. Looked at in this way, each occurrence is a unique, precious point of creation and dissolution. nothing is taken for granted, nothing is seen as disposable, insignificant or boring.
This arises from our moment to moment perception, in watching how this happens, how the world changes around us, watching how our body and mind also constantly change. As we allow this to happen, maybe we can discern the perfect, fluid formless nature of life, as it effortlessly meanders and transforms, creates, undoes, recreates again.
So as life moves in this way with its own spectacular intelligence and beauty, instead of us feeling that the new year is a time to wholly revolutionise life, maybe we can perceive that it is really just a case of introducing small adjustments to align with the process of change and evolution thats inherent in life. To come into harmony with the movement and unfoldment of our life.
Small modifications go a long way over time, for example, getting up twenty minutes earlier, an extra ten minutes of meditation, a slight change to our diet, more time in nature, whatever it may be, all adds up over time and makes a massive difference as it gradually steers us in a new direction.
The Yoga Vashista speaks of how a little bit of effort is accompanied by the movement of grace. if we do a little and get the ball rolling, life helps us along.
So as you consider the movement of your life, and examine the currents you’d like to follow, think of the little transformations that will allow that over time. yet recognise that life is already doing a great job, supporting us, carrying us through each day.
Wishing all a very happy 2019.
