Change

We are always navigating change I've come to realise.  Even in those times of status quo, small changes are occurring.

But when we come to the big changes in life, the ones that hit you between the eyes type changes, we can feel a huge range of emotions from fear, to physical pain, to joy and exhilaration - depending of course on the type of change we are dealing with.

We can all agree that the last few months have been the type of change to mostly instigate a sense of fear, anxiety, overwhelm and deep challenge.  But we have navigated the changes.  In one way or another we find ourselves here, now, emerging into... more change.

Perhaps this time change may be at a pace more of our own choosing.  There is still plenty of unknown ahead of course, changes we may not be able to anticipate, changes that happen quickly.  But at least we now have the benefit of some knowledge and we know that we have come this far and somehow we can navigate the hurdles.

So now we begin to make choices about how we deal with the next changes, what will the next few months look like for us? How will we navigate the next round of change as we emerge from lockdown?  

We can choose slowly and cautiously or we can choose to spring back into the centre of life more confidently.

Maybe we have reflected over the past few months and there are changes we want to make to feel more happy or fulfilled.  Things to let go of and things to embrace.

Maybe the changes have been so big and have been made for us, and we have to make some kind of peace with that, accept the change and move forward.

I often come back to this quote from Michael Stone:

As a community we need to be kind and patient as we all deal with this shared sense of change differently.  We have to acknowledge that our choices may not be the same, that fear and anxiety and deep challenge will continue for many of us as change continues.

I know that as I embrace change for my own life, my families life, my yoga teaching.  I have to come back to Michael Stone’s quote.  I have to accept the changes to move forward, to parent, to teach, to engage with friends and family in a way that feels comfortable for me.  There's no rush, there's no universal right or wrong.  Listening to how I feel, to what increases my anxiety, or to what creates more space and positivity is really important.

I am looking to new ways for my boys to go to school, new ways to spend family time. new ways to teach.  How to feel safe and confident, yet also connected to and engaged with the world around us.

It's all change to be embraced with acceptance.  Some days it's too much to comprehend, some days it changes so quickly you've hardly turned around, some days it's simple and clear.  All of this is ok, it's part of navigating change that we can't anticipate. 

I remind myself to look at the positives in change - new freedoms, new possibilities to begin things again or do things differently or better rather than out of habit.

And there's hope, but not hope that things will go back to the way they were - they can't, that's the nature of change, things won't be the same again.  But the future may just be better eventually.

I've learned, reflected, accepted, enjoyed some of this change afterall - and there's some of the benefits of change right there...

mask made by my very talented friend Jacqui https://www.wishheartdesigns.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/wishearttiaradesign