The present is much different than it was in the past. Technology has changed so quickly, people are living healthier lives and health care is more accessible for everyone. However, there’s a whole other side to this story that many don’t want to talk about: what happens when technology comes up against tradition? This essay looks at how people have begun to view traditional values since the advent of modern medicine.,
The “honor the past, celebrate the present embrace the future” is a quote from one of my favorite movies. It’s an old saying that I feel is important to live by.
We come into this world wailing and wailing. And we are shushed and trained to quiet down from the time we step foot on this planet. At the moment we take our first breath, our fundamental desires to communicate emotion are restrained. So it’s no surprise to me that many of us have difficulty confronting our feelings.
This was a year when we had to remain quiet, alone, and face unpleasant things that many of us wished we didn’t have to face. It was a year filled with new and old feelings, as well as plenty of time to experience them. The glimmer of 2021 becomes brighter with each passing day, beckoning us to go on.
For some, the start of a new year brings with it a long list of resolutions, intentions, new habits, and objectives. This year, the extra excitement of 2020 adds to the anticipation of the new year.
This is not something I am above. Of course, I always want to start fresh in the new year. I want to improve as a person by doing more good deeds, cooking more, hugging more, attending more gym classes, reading more, and learning more. I want to kiss 2020 goodbye – the tears, the loneliness, the zoom, the bread, and the many hours of house fixer upper programs I wouldn’t have watched in a regular year.
But, instead of wiping the slate clean for the new year, what if we allowed ourselves to accept the hardships of the previous year? What if we took the time to recognize and acknowledge the issues that people experience on a personal, communal, and global level? Rather of shrugging them off, we face these problems with a feeling of confidence in what they have taught us. As a result, by 2021, we will not be some enhanced version of ourselves, but rather more seasoned and appreciative of what we have seen.
“This is the point at which the practice starts.”
Instead of attempting to become who we believe we should be, what if we replaced setting intentions with respecting and appreciating who we currently are? How can we ever be content with who we are, just as we are, if we go into every year thinking that the person we were the year before wasn’t good enough?
The year 2020 will be remembered as a year of loss. This was a year of sadness, whether you lost someone, knew someone who did, are grieving for black lives, or are disgusted by the social injustice in our country. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned through my own losses, it’s that mourning isn’t something that can be hastened.
Grief is said to be divided into five stages. There are at least 100 of these, in my opinion. You must sit with it, be still with it, deny it, get enraged by it, weep about it, laugh about it, be disgusted by it, insulted by it, hysterical about it, defend it, protect it, and then repeat the process.
The truth is that grieving isn’t all awful. Grief, on the other hand, does not imply weakness. Grief is an ongoing process. And there is something to be learnt and carried forward from every step. When broken glass shatters
Jagged edges are transformed delightfully smooth during rides along the ocean’s stormy waves. Each piece of sea glass has a rich history and an intriguing narrative to tell. It’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and be treasured. Beauty emerges from the shattered parts of a whole and the rioting of the sea.
When we leave our mats as yoga students, our practice does not cease. In fact, I believe this is the point at which our genuine practice starts. Each moment of difficulty on our mats—self-doubt, shortness of breath, lack of concentration, perspiration, aching muscles, unease in postures, dissatisfaction with instructors, frustration with self, ego, and at times even pain—teaches us a new lesson in being with discomfort over time. Our knowledge blossoms from upheaval as we encounter these little moments, these shifts, like a shard of glass cascading over the ocean.
So, rather than ignoring the problems of 2020, I encourage you to embrace them with dignity as you take your whole self into the new year. I’d want you to think back on your whole year. I’d want you to pay special attention to the times when you’re at your darkest. And think about how you were able to bring your light into these situations. These times provide us with riches of appreciation, as much as we don’t want to confront them. These experiences teach us to be grateful. These are ours and only ours moments. This is the point at which the practice starts.
Manduka Ambassador Neeti Narula penned this piece.
Neeti Narula is a yoga instructor in New York City who has completed over 900 hours of training. She left her corporate finance job to follow her love for yoga, and she hasn’t looked back. Modo Yoga NYC and On Air are two places where you may catch her online lessons. On Insight Timer, you may also meditate with her. Follow @namasteneetz on Twitter or visit namasteneetz.com to discover more about Neeti.
Looking Forward – With Honor For The Past is a blog that covers the latest health and wellness news. It also includes articles about how to maintain your health, and how to get in shape. Reference: looking forward to synonym.
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