A Blissful Life 7/2/24: Moving Through Chaos

“If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive.” –Mother Teresa

I invite you to close your eyes and bring your mind’s attention to your present inhale and exhale. Float your awareness on the wavelike rhythm of your breath, gathering into your body. Stay for a while, noticing how you let go of layers and surrender deeper and deeper toward your inner peace with each round of breath. No matter the chaos that may be going on around you, there is an unwavering stillness that resides deep in your center.

When areas of our life feel chaotic, it is because there is something more deeply aligned underneath the surface of what had been manifesting and it is ready and wanting to birth. The old is outdated– it no longer has roots and is getting pushed out. The layers we have been living in become rattled or shaken as a new energetic expression grows up into form and breaks through the surface.

When I think about chaos, I understand it as a lot of movement that feels disorderly and confused. However, it is important to remember when you are in it, that this too shall pass and from the chaos will emerge a greater sense of stability, peace, and alignment. There is a process of evolution happening when life feels chaotic. From my own experience, the best thing to do during turbulent times is to simplify– prioritize, slow down, and take extra time to pause and ground. Do less, pull back, and go inward so that you can get through the storm with grace and be strong and ready to move forward with purpose when the skies clear.

Of course, there were chaotic times in my life when I did not follow this advice, and that only led to more chaos. If parts of your life are shaky, disordered, or confused, it is easier to get into accidents, make unaligned decisions, or get sick. It is important to have goals and work toward them, but, for our best life, we have to take ownership of what is going on for us now in order to move forward in the best way possible. Meet yourself where you are, accept and appreciate this version of you, tend to yourself and your life here and now, and move forward from there.

So, why did I start this column with a quote about forgiveness? Well, first, our monthly focus at Ocean Bliss Yoga this July is ‘Forgiveness’. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the emotion of summer is Joy, making it a great time to let go of grudges and resentment. You can join us in the studio all month long to work on forgiving yourself and others through your asana practice, pranayama, meditations, mudras, sound baths, and more. That being said, there is another reason why I began this piece with a quote about forgiveness. When we experience chaos in our lives, it can be easy to blame– we blame ourselves, we blame others, we blame destiny. If you find yourself doing this, I encourage you to work on forgiving yourself. Work on forgiving the part of your mind that is angry or upset about your situation and trust that you are exactly where you need to be at this stage in your journey of life.

Browse and sign up for yoga classes, Pilates classes, sound baths, and more workshops with Ocean Bliss Yoga at oceanblissyoga.net. Call or text me with any questions at 917-318-1168. Hope to see you in the studio soon!