Another retreat has come and gone. More time to reflect, be in nature, and be untouched by loud noises and bustling city life. This year, I found myself thinking about last year and last year the same. What a joy to have this space each year to reflect and compare. This year I realized that I was in a good space and this hasn't happened in a looooooong time. The last couple of years have been marked by striving, building, and working really hard. Looking back on this year though, I saw that I gained a healthy and supportive relationship which helped me to grow in so many ways, cleaned up my finances, streamlined the yoga business, got to travel to Alaska, and accepted a position at the Cambridge Public Library. I also noticed that yes challenges did occur: Lost two weekday yoga classes at the Lily Pad which is 1/2 of the business, left Joint Ventures after trying to grow a yoga program that just wasn't going to grow, and saw some friendships dwindle. Amidst both the loss and the tremendous gain, I found myself peaceful and secure. (Thank you yoga!)
It is known in the yoga world that the word OM is actually A-U-M and is made of three sounds Ah Oh MMMM. The three parts symbolize the life cycle: Creation, Life, and Death OR is shown by the gods: Brahma: The Creator, Vishnu: The Sustainer, and Shiva: the Destroyer. We will find ourselves in a Brahma stage when we are at the start of a venture or a Vishnu stage when we are sustaining or maintaining our lives with stability and a Shiva stage when we are leaving a relationship, losing a loved one, or letting go of an old part of ourselves.
I used my retreat time this year to feel gratitude for Vishnu and honor Brahma the creator of all of the growth in my life since last year. I wished to celebrate that things are stable right now! Of course I know that life is rocky and won't always be stable, it's nice to sit and enjoy it while it lasts!
Things I Took from This Year's Retreat:
- Meditation is key
- How to receive compliments
- Giving each other space to be different is important
- Drop expectations
- Yoga, Meditation, and Good Food/People is Enough
- Being there for others is so important even if just listening or sitting by them
- Doing your best is all you can do!
What are some things you took from your retreat experiences? Are you in a stable place, a state of change, or have you seen much loss in your life? Who is predominantly reigning? Brahma, Vishnu, or Shiva? Did you know that Shiva is the god of yoga? Our job as yogis is to constantly destroy or let go of old parts of ourselves that don't work anymore or old ways of thinking that do not serve us. Thoughts?
Namaste,
Natalie
