Impermanence – The River of Change

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” Lao Tzu

Impermanence.  The very fact that life is changing not just every once in a while but always. That is one of the biggest universal truths yet perhaps one of the hardest to swallow.

Did you know that your body is replacing its cells with new ones at millions per moment?

The job that you’re in right now will most likely change in nature; you’ll get a promotion or be ‘jack’ of it and move on to start something new.

The nature of the relationship you’re in right now may change. Perhaps it will deepen and then shallow and then deepen again.

Yep. The only thing that is truly certain in this world is change.

Every living thing, project, place and relationship has a life cycle; a beginning, middle and end. And as morbid as some endings may seem, really it just paves the way for a new beginning; a new creation; new life.

In hindsight, when we look back at the endings of a lot of things, we can see there was a ‘why’. It was like the universe had a grand plan for you that you just couldn’t see at the time.  Remember that relationship that came to a heart breaking end and you thought you’d never get over it? And now, three years on you knew the Gods were on your side because you fell into an even deeper love with someone else?

Mother Nature – one of our greatest teachers of all if we’d just listen to her – is forever orchestrating change. We feel and see change in her change all year round.

We know change to be a fact of life. And often we embrace it.

Yet, more often we find it a struggle.

Just last week I was having lunch with my good mate, Janoah, and we have a way of cutting straight to the heart of the matter in things. Our meal hadn’t even arrived yet and we were at the conclusion that at any one time we (and by that I mean everyone on the planet) is, at any one stage dealing with something. There’s always a little highlight or hot spot; something that’s causing suffering of some sort. And it’s always when there is some kind of change, or lack there-of, happening around a certain situation.

Change is generally at the epicentre.

What’s your current hotspot?

Mine is for sure my rapidly changing body. For someone who has a) previously always been very controlled and disciplined in her weight management and b) who is now in her 21st week of pregnancy…change is very, very real and often confronting. There are days I feel fat and bloated (and I’m only half way through!) and there are days I love the look of my swelling belly. It’s a rollercoaster, fuelled of course by pregnancy hormones.

But on the other side if it, I remember that I’m producing a miracle and that this may be a once in a life time for me. And that pulls my head back in and reminds me to get quiet, to lean in and to feel the little signs of life that are literally wriggling around inside of me. None of which would be possible without change.

Yesterday I posted this on Instagram. Hopefully it hits you and your hot spot in just the right way…

Steady Gaze…on the changing season, my forever swelling belly and the gentle reminders from inside that there’s life…just when I seem to forget…everywhere. Always changing. Inside & Out. Keep a steady gaze, Yogis. Don’t miss a thing.