Have you ever gotten to a point in your life where you feel you've hit a wall, when things don't go your way and you feel that the universe is not necessarily on your side?
If you're a human being, this has probably happened to you, or is even happening now, so I wanted to share a realisation I had a few days ago...
While at gym, I watched a dragonfly crashing over and over again against a glass window. From where I was standing (my perspective) I could clearly see the huge open door with a ticket to freedom, however from where the dragonfly was (its perspective), all it could see was probably a long glass window, an obstacle on its path.
This situation made me think of the times we are so set on our ways because we think that if only "this or that" changed, life would be just perfect! Even though the universe is sending us all the signs revealing that, actually, what we think is best for us, may not be.
This can be a dysfunctional relationship, a job, mental pattern, or anything that makes us feel stuck, anything that contributes to suffering, something that almost feel like we’re banging our heads against a wall, just like the dragonfly I saw, but we insist on trying, banging our heads, and trying again instead of truly pausing, reflecting and eventually surrendering to it all. I am all up for giving our all to what we want and believe, fight for it if it's necessary as long as that is enhancing your life in some way but if what we want creates misery, it's better to let go of our wants to discover what lies beyond our constant effort and struggle.
Most of us (if not all) have experienced this at some point in our lives, and this in any way mean that we don’t do our best and work hard for what we want in life, but simply that when we have done our very best to improve or change something, then we take a pause and reflect on what is happening, and what the situation is trying to either teach me or tell me instead of obsessing over what (and who!) we think is best for us
If we surrender, we might be able to sit back and see the bigger picture, the opening, the portal, the massive door of possibility that we are not able to see because we are so busy focused on the one wall in front of us that doesn’t allow us to see all that is around us, all of the blessings, the so many things that are working in our lives, that ones that are thriving
Most of us (if not all) have experienced this at some point in our lives, and this in any way mean that we don’t do our best and work hard for what we want in life, but simply that once we have done our very best to improve or change something, then we take a pause and reflect on what is happening, and what the situation is trying to either teach me or tell me instead of obsessing over what (and who!) we think is best for us
Once we are willing to listen to the universe’s signs and are open to what life brings without resistance, once we give up and stop fighting against the current, we can be redirected into something grander, and way better than our own conception of what we thought was better for us, but we must get out of our "own" way
When something is meant to be, you'll feel that you and life are in a smooth flow that carries in it a momentum, you will feel supported, things will go well, you'll meet the right people, you'll notice perfect timings and synchronicities, the world will seem kinder, and you'll have this inner knowing that you are on the right path, where you are truly meant to be <3
What we see is only one aspect or portion of a way bigger picture, we don't need to understand the why some things are not working out the way we would like them to, but we do need to have faith that what's best for us will find its way, whether we want it or not.
Does any of this resonate with you?
Perhaps a relationship you had (or wanted to have) that hurt you but you kept trying to save it until you had no option but let it go? To then be blessed by something much better? Like finding/creating yourself, growing, transforming and/or finding true love?
What we want from the universe is not always what the universe wants from us, and what the universe wants from us is often way higher and better that we can conceive 🙌🏼✨🌅
Sometimes, it's not so much about transcending obstacles, but ourselves
In the eight limbs of yoga, this surrendering and trusting a supreme intelligence or higher self is called Isvara Pranidhana (one of the niyamas) which in essence means cultivating a deep and trusting relationship with the universe, as it is, and making each action an offering to something bigger and higher than us.
Yoga Side Note:
In your yoga practice, when you hit this “wall” it’s called compression and it’s when you feel like you have reached your edge and no matter what you do, you cannot go any further or deeper in a posture.
Normally compression is felt in the direction you’re moving towards, while tension is felt in the direction you’re moving away from. Tension can be changed with enough practice, while compression cannot be changed as it depends more on our anatomical structure, however you can always work you way around it
There are three types of compression:
1) When bone meets bone : you would feel a sensation similar to that you experience when you lock the knee or elbow, there's a point where you reach your limit of range of motion, there are many joints in the body where you could feel this, an example would be when the heels not touching the ground while in squat due to the lower shin bone meeting the talus (the bone on the top of the foot)
2) Flesh on flesh (e.g: stomach on thighs on a forward fold)
3) Bone on flesh, and this can be felt when you do a standing side bend (AKA lateral flexion.) Here there's a point where "something" will get in the way of your side bending; if there's adipose tissue (fat) on the waist as you bend laterally, you may feel that you're squeezing this tissue against the lower rib or the hip bone.
If you are side bending to your right and you feel this on the right side of your body, or waist, it means that it is not flexibility that is stopping you but compression. What most know as flexibility is referred as "tension," and this can be changed with enough practice, while compression can't be changed. In the last example I gave you, if we lost some fat, we may be able to go a bit further, but no major changes in the posture. However, if you ever encounter compression, you can still work your way around it. In this side bend, you could always bend right knee if you're doing a lateral flexion to right and then you'd be able to go a bit deeper and feel more of a stretch on the left side of your body.
So, the lesson of the story is to always try work your way around things without getting stuck in one way, there are many paths that lead us where we aim to be =)
