The Art of Self-Study
Many years ago, my first yoga teacher, Deb Gorman, wrote out this quote for me at the conclusion of practice. She had stated it during practice and the words resonated.
Life is not the way it’s supposed to be – It’s the way it is – The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.
Those words have provided strength through various times in my life, and in this time of the pandemic they ring ever more true for me. How I choose to approach life makes all the difference in how I feel about life. People have said that I am a bundle of positive energy; most of the time, I am. But there are definitely times when it takes work to find that wellspring and bring it to the forefront. What I have learned is to accept who I am, especially in those moments when the positive energy seems submerged, not wallowing in the submersion, rather sifting through it and finding what can be used moving forward.
The quote is yogic in sentiment. Yoga asks us to accept, without judgement, what we are and how we are. The Yoga Sutras (the yoga precepts as compiled by Pantanjali) speak of self-study, or Tapas Svadhyaya Isvara. Tapas is what is changeable; Isvara is what is not changeable; and Svadhyaya is the wisdom to know the difference between the two.
This does not mean we cannot work to make change within us and outside of us. As Deb’s quote states, the way you cope with life is what makes the difference. Work to change what you can, accept what you cannot change, and learn to know the difference between the two. That is part of the process of self-study. I find it is also a way forward during difficult times.
During this pandemic there is much I am unable to change, but I can offer yoga online and share a space of calm with others. I can look for those silver linings amidst all the intensity, sadness and unknowns - the quieter, clearer skies due to less automobile, airplane and factory output; being able to get outside at the height of warmth and sun on a work day; realizing we can manage fine without some of the “perks” we took for granted beforehand; welcoming yogis from states and countries beyond my local community as we share stories, find solace in gathering together, and fuel our psyches. I know what I cannot change; I also know where I can have an impact, and that has made all the difference.
