We live in troubling times. Many people feel that the old is no longer effective, but the new is not yet in sight. Enduring this is not easy, endure not knowing but with a pinch of self-love and a pound of patience it is possible.
The old is no longer viable, but the new is not yet in sight
All the people I meet right now – be it privately or professionally – seem to be in a similar state: the old is no longer effective, but the new is not yet in sight. Phew… not an easy situation. Especially not for people who are used to acting strategically, making plans and going their way with a clear goal in mind. But even they are unsettled and have the feeling that life is constantly throwing a stick between their legs or, to put it mildly, simply throwing their plans overboard. Fear of missing out
Trust in not knowing
It’s not easy to endure that. Nevertheless, it seems to be the task that life has in store for us. All we can do in such a phase is to sit back and trust in life as our teacher and companion. If we stop trying to control life, it can pave a whole new path. The path of your own destiny. If only it were that easy to trust in the process of life.
What is trust?
Trust is a big word. Above all, it is a Do word. Only if we trust and fully engage with life will we get through these wild and disturbing times gently. Then we will flow with life and not drown because we try to hold on to old habits, encrusted structures and outdated relationships. Trust also has to do with the fact that we don’t believe everything in our minds, but rather listen to our gut feeling and our intuition. This is not an easy exercise either.
These are all ways of doing things that we have forgotten. Or is it more accurate to say that they were trained out of us? Most people rush after the ever-increasing demands of everyday life, so that they no longer find time to take time for introspection, reflection and listening. It is precisely these ingredients that we need to get through today’s world well.
You are not alone
Even though times are crazy and difficult, I find it very reassuring that many people are going through such a deeply transformative process. This transformation process affects all of us as humanity. The focus of this transformative process is that we achieve self-empowerment. We are asked to leave tried-and-tested roles behind us and take complete responsibility for ourselves.
Even if we don’t know how our lives will continue and what’s in store for us, we can train ourselves to internally say “Yes!” to what wants to show up. “Everything that is can be!” is one of my favorite mottos. And “Everything that wants to be transformed can also show itself.”
Transformation can hurt. Just like molting hurts. The caterpillar is trapped in its cocoon until the time is right. The snake also has to undergo the process of shedding its skin. And at the same time, many people realize that they have reached a point in their lives where they have to face this transformation process.
Be there from moment to moment
But how can we relax into not knowing? Mindfulness has taught me a lot here. Jon Kabat-Zinn coined the phrase that it’s about being with what is present moment to moment. It is a great art. It is a great challenge, but also a great gift!
If I manage to be present in the present moment, then I realize that there is only this one moment anyway. This “now” as Eckhart Tolle describes it. Everything else is just memories and ideas about the future.
The yoga and the presence
Fortunately, yoga has numerous methods and approaches to guide us into the present moment. If I completely immerse myself in an asana, then I arrive in the now and at the same time find. myself in the state of yoga. Body and mind are one. In this state it can happen that I fall from not knowing into all-knowing.
Then from one moment to the next I can experience a connection that connects me to the sources of all knowledge and ignorance. When I experience this all-knowing, I realize that everything is good the way it is. Perfection is revealed in all being. And even if nothing seems to be happening in this being. Just like in winter we sometimes have the feeling that nothing is happening. The earth prepares for spring and growth.
A new cycle begins. And before I know it, I look around – as I have been doing these weeks – and see a beautiful spring landscape in which everything is blooming and thriving. Without human intervention. Without artificial intelligence.
Learn to meditate – step by step
Breathe in. Exhale. Let go.
Yoga also has wonderful and numerous breathing techniques that can support us in being present in the moment to moment. In fact, in my own experience, the breath is the bridge to the now. If I am in an asana but do not really experience my breathing consciously and deeply, then I will not be able to truly experience the state of yoga. After all, everything is connected.
The breath can also support me in trusting in not knowing. If I let go completely as I exhale, I can fall into the state of not knowing and realize that I am being held by something that is bigger than my little self, which is so afraid of it, pushing myself into this not knowing to relax. A single breath can create deep trust and lay the foundation for a new future. A future based on trust in the unpredictability of life.
A breath can also become the bridge that creates a connection to that knowledge that knows that the unpredictable in life holds the greatest lessons and greatest gifts for me.
What a miracle. What a mystery this life is… So I wish you and I that we learn to relax more and more into not knowing.
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