Out of the Nest

“To be fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.”  -Pema Chodron

Isn’t it funny how at just the moment when we get comfortable with a new change in our lives – maybe a new job, a new baby, a new city – something suddenly happens to throw a wrench in it?  And we have to grow accustomed to a totally new set of patterns all over again?

Life constantly keeps us on our toes, forcing us to continually grow.  When we get “too comfortable,” it’s all-too-easy to become complacent in how seamless life is, and to expect that all things should be so easy.  We forget how hard we had to work to get to where we are.  And when this happens, life tosses some obstacles our way to remind us that those smooth-sailing periods do not last forever.  But the silver lining is – we get another opportunity to create a new smooth-sailing period out of whatever challenges life throws us next.

This is particularly true in yoga, or any athletic endeavor.  For example, you may have developed a diligent yoga practice over the past few weeks, months, or even years.  During this time, you may have gained tremendous strength, flexibility, and stamina.  And one day, you may be working into a pose that is totally routine for you – except something goes slightly wrong in the execution.  This slight error may cause you to tumble and injure yourself…which then requires you to sit on the sidelines in recovery for an indefinite period of time.

This healing process can be incredibly frustrating.  You know you are physically capable of doing certain things, but the temporary condition of your body prohibits you from stretching to your limits.  And what terrible timing too – right when you were about to make a major breakthrough in your practice.

And so you get annoyed, restless, and unsure of where to divert your energy.

But the hidden gift in all of this, is that you now get the opportunity to practice another incredibly important limb of yoga – dhyana, or meditation.  While dealing with this frustration can be difficult, it nonetheless provides the perfect opportunity to strengthen your ability to meditate on your breath, so that you can steel yourself mentally against all sorts of aversive feelings.  In this sense, maybe your injury was crucial in the growth in your yoga practice and your life off the mat.  By learning to cope with painful feelings and emotions, we can be more mentally prepared to deal with anything – from a difficult pose sequence to a painful relationship conflict.

Although life continually throws us “out of the nest” as soon as we get comfortable, maybe there are gifts hidden inside both experiences, if we look for them.

 

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