Even though change is inevitable, a guarantee, we humans are creatures of comfort. This comes from our body’s innate role to keep us safe and secure. We feel more comfortable in what we know, even if it’s not a healthy place for us to stay. Uncertainty feels uneasy in the nervous system, so things typically have to get pretty painful for us to dive into uncertainty and make changes. This makes change feel hard.

YOU WILL FEEL DISCOMFORT IN CHANGE

The thing is, if you want to move towards all your heart desires or connect more with your authentic self, you’re going to have to stretch that comfort zone and be in the ‘hard.’ This might increase feelings of discomfort, unease, and fear. What keeps people motivated is remembering why they are making the effort to change. Usually to step into a new and expansive place to become more of themselves, not just stay in an image and story. Yes, it is hard. But, life is still going to be hard if we stay where we’re at too.

It’s not life that needs to change, it’s us – our attitudes, our perspectives, our stories. Those are the things we have control over changing, not life, i.e. the external world.

TAPAS

Changing ourselves means stepping into the heat of discomfort and fear, facing it so that you can move through it and get to the other side.  This process or practice is called Tapas in Sanskrit. Tapas literally means “to burn.” Changing ourselves, i.e. letting go of old ways of doing and being to step into a place that feels more empowering and authentic, is a process. The process is about burning away the old to discover what has always been there.

You see, according to Yoga, you aren’t changing who you are because you are already You. It’s the patterns and conditionings you’ve learned in life that keeps you from being You.  The change you must go through is letting go of what isn’t permanently You. Whatever changes, isn’t You.

I know this is completely opposite of what you’ve learned. You’ve been taught there’s something wrong with you, but there’s not. It’s the mind’s beliefs and perspectives it’s learned that are mistaken and causing you to feel stuck, lost, or distressed. 

REFINE THE MIND

So, the changes and practices are all about refining the mind. You don’t have to change how you look physically, what activities you do, how others view you, etc. You have to change your mind and your perspective, most importantly about how you view yourself.

Are you coming from a loving state of mind towards yourself? Or are you coming from a place of fear, shame, anger, confusion and doubt?  

Work on your relationship with yourself until you can look in the mirror and love the person looking back at you unconditionally.

Yes, it’s not easy and it will take time, effort, and commitment. That’s Tapas.

Namaste.

Does this Yoga perspective resonate with you? Does it make sense and you want to know how to live from this perspective? Watch my free Masterclass – The Find Calm™ Formula, and if it continues to feel like a “Yes!” then let’s chat and see if working with me is a fit.