“What I’ve learned about life is that it doesn’t get easier, you just get stronger and stronger. Don’t pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to overcome a difficult one.” -Ralph Smart
A few years ago, I discovered this Ralph Smart quote and these words deeply resonated with me.
The last few years of my life have been a mixture of joy and pain and everything in between. 2020 was a year of deep reflection, working on myself, and realizing that a divorce was inevitable. 2021 was a year of big transitions: sharing my son Noah, selling the home I lived in for nearly 17 years, leaning on friends and family, and creating a new path.
I now feel more connected to my authentic self. I more deeply appreciate the wonder and awe of being in nature, the silly moments and laughter with my son, the pleasure of preparing and eating colorful plant-based food, the delight in a walk, and the gift of being in a loving relationship with shared values.
All that said, as many of us do, I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. Being a yoga teacher does not mean my life is stress free and everything feels great. My body experiences aches and pains. I hold tension around my jaw and shoulders. I consistently cue in my asana (posture-based) classes and during meditation/relaxation to drop the weight of the world, the weight of stress, anxiety, tension, worry, doubt, self-consciousness, and so on because it’s something I’m practicing myself – every single day!
At some point in 2024, I told myself this is the year I heal my body. I have made great strides to do just that. I’ve encountered setbacks and put too much pressure on myself to feel better. I’ve come to realize that healing is not a linear process, but a journey filled with endless possibilities.
We may think when we reach a certain point, life will be easier.
There are obvious things that do make life easier. Access to food, water, shelter, and a supportive community establishes safety and a sense of home. These are the basics that sadly, so many do not have (yet). Earning a certain income, getting a job promotion, having a particular car, or being in a relationship does not necessarily make life easier or bring true contentment.
The truth is, life might not become easier.
With practice, the opportunity to become more equipped to handle the ups and downs and the ebbs and flows is available to us all. Lessons are learned (usually the hard way), and tools are gained to stay calm through the chaos and turmoil. (Tip: Practice Yoga!)
As Ralph Smart says, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.”
I recognize that I have a choice every day in how I live my life. I have the choice to slow down, take a breath, and feel gratitude or I have the choice to rush, get caught up in the go-go-go busyness, and not see the beauty around me.
We have the choice to look at life as a beautiful mess or a giant shitstorm.
I choose to see the beauty within the messiness of life.
I choose to see a life that is ripe with possibility.
I choose to let go of the pressure I put on myself to heal or be any particular way.
I choose to do my best to move through the ups and downs of life with greater peace and calm.
I take the opportunity to pause and choose something different, perhaps create a whole new life.
{Find the following Breath Meditation on Insight Timer}
May you create a new life with each moment and each breath…
Breathe in life as it is
breathe out life as it is
breathe in a life of rhythm
breathe out a life of rush
breathe in your power to heal
breathe out pain and suffering
breathe in simply being
breathe out the pressure to be a certain way
breathe in rest and slowing down
breathe out the urge to do, go, work, be busy
breathe in grace
breathe out frustration
breathe in calm and ease
breathe out angst and worry
breathe in community
breathe out isolation
breathe in gentleness and kindness
breathe out cruelty and violence
breathe in clarity and intuitive vision
breathe out the mental fog and confusion
breathe in love
breathe out fear
breathe in the beauty around you
breathe out the beautiful mess that is life
breathe in and pause
breathe out and pause.
Pause to look.
Pause to smell.
Pause to taste.
Pause to feel.
Pause to listen.
Pause and experience the beauty around you right here and now. In all the challenges, struggles, and ups and downs, pause…beauty is there. You are beautiful. Life is beautiful. Each breath you take is the beauty of life.
Breathe in strength and vitality
breathe out and express vulnerability
breathe in self-worth
breathe out and show humility
breathe in trust yourself
breathe out and trust in others
breathe in stillness
breathe out and take action
breathe in and heal yourself
breathe out and heal the world.
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings everywhere be happy and free…and may the thoughts, words, and actions of your own life contribute to that happiness and freedom for all.
Listen to Breath Meditation for Busy People on Insight Timer and give Anna Ferguson a follow and track rating.
Posted by Anna Ferguson, author of World Peace Yoga: Yoga for People Who Breathe, a book on yoga that inspires peace in action, developing intuition, deepening empathy, and expanding compassion. Connect with Anna at World Peace Yoga in Cincinnati and via Instagram @annafergusonpeace or via Facebook or join her for a class online at worldpeaceyogaonline.com.