Cat From The Mat

Change is 
the new black

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Created on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 11:17

"entropy (noun), as in life is a struggle against entropy: deterioration, degeneration, crumbling, decline, degradation, decomposition, breaking down, collapse; disorder, chaos."

This year has been entropic, to say the least.  For many, 2012 has been full of dissolution...divorces, deaths, decluttering, physical injuries and paralyzing outcomes, unprecedented destructive weather, and unexpected deterioration with countries and even closer to home within yoga communities.  And we still have a month to go! 

The law of entropy states that nature is in a continual state of disorder.  Change is the constant.  The human body breaks down.  Computers becomes obsolete.  Possessions get recycled.  Old businesses get replaced by new ones.  Nothing stays the same.  So what are you going to do about it?  You can either get with the program and adapt to unfamiliar circumstances, or you eventually become inert and perhaps antiquated.

The concept of embracing challenges as catalysts of transformation is great in theory.  Doing it however is another story.  I too have had many changes this year, which all have been indications that I need to expand beyond my self-imposed limitations.   I find change to be difficult.  I was raised in the same city,  in the same house, and attended the same school from kindergarten through 12th grade.  It was only this past year that I finally moved my belongings out of my childhood bedroom, much to my parents delight.  Living on the same block in New York City for almost 20 years with familiar neighbors proves that I like rooted consistency.  As a professional yoga instructor and filmmaker, I have been trained to shift on the spot and respond to what is needed in the present moment. However, in my personal life, I'm not so proficient in life's revisions.  So it begs the question...when does too much stability become a barrier?

As things dissolve, I evolve.  Breakdowns indicate movement and growth.  What might appear as an unpalatable situation could perhaps be the perfect thing that brings me to the next chapter in my journey. Yoga is the practice of engaging in the world fully.  My yoga training has given me tools to transmute hindrances into help, while speeding up the process of accepting the unforeseeable.  The more I practice, the quicker my turn-around time. It's always a welcomed challenge, although never easy.

Participate in the turmoil, without wallowing in it.  Be in that big pile of dirt while keeping your dignity in tact.  Savor the exhaustion of experience, without taking life too personally.  If you sport this attitude over the holidays, you might like your perpetually new outfit.  After all, change is the new black!

Happy Hanukah, Christmas, Kwaanza, Winter Solstice, and Festivus for the rest of us!

Cheers,
Cat

NOLA YOGA
December 2012