Nothing is permanent
In my 20’s I was constantly moving a lot, always packing up and moving home to a ‘better warmer location.' I was sure that “I’ll be happy when I live in a tropical climate.” I was convinced this struggle or emotional discomfort will be less when I have my external world more aligned to how I’d like it. And sure, maybe I do feel happy in warmer climates. But the truth is, I have now realised that my continuous search for ‘the perfect location’ was actually a search for more meaning in life.
The yoga value of ‘non-attachment’ provides us an understanding of how to experience more sustainable happiness – something that can’t be found in our soothing glass of wine, or even in our wildest lotto winning dreams.
1. Sometimes we rely on external factors to make us feel happy
Maybe you notice an internal dialogue that says something like “I’ll be happy when I pay off my mortgage”, or “I’ll be happy when I get a new boyfriend,” or some new clothes. The thing is, all of these things can be taken away from us. Our partner could leave us, or die, and our money may only last so long. Perhaps you like to please your partner by cooking him or her dinner and this makes you happy. Then after a while you notice its not that fun anymore? There’s nothing wrong with having all or some of these things in our life, however, yoga offers us a more sustainable way of finding fulfillment. Yoga helps us feel connected to a deeper wiser sense of self.
2. Nothing is permanent
It can seem hard to digest this one initially – but that’s right. Nothing is permanent. That new iPhone – yes it feels great to have it, but maybe it will fall down the toilet by accident, or maybe a newer fancier brand comes along, and the joy of that new phones fades a bit? Money, our house, all our belongings are material items which can all be lost in some way or another. In fact, even WE don’t last forever. It’s good to reflect on this concept that nothing is permanent and that nothing is really in our control – and we eventually realise that this is actually quite liberating.
For me, having my Mum pass away when I was 29 made me truly realise this – and it actually motivated me to truly live, to take more risks, and make the most of my life. Developing our inner yoga qualities is essential to living a life of contentment, peace, and fulfillment. So, although nothing is permanent, the values of yoga have endured the test of time. And the great thing is, we all have an opportunity to cultivate them.
3. We can’t avoid suffering, but we can reduce it by focusing on what endures
This is why I call I like to call it ‘an art’- The Art of Living Well. Its part of life to have struggles and adversity. Its also part of life to cultivate our awareness to lean toward the positive. It’s not a ‘one or another’ approach, a straight line, or binary. Rather, by taking on the ‘yoga lifestyle’ we become aware of both the positive and the negative. We make a conscious choice to lean toward the positive. The values of yoga have endured the test of time, and they truly help us in times of struggle. They offer us this opportunity to connect to a bigger wiser sense of self, and at the same time notice our small sense of self (attachment - attaching our sense of happiness to external things). It’s possible to become conscious enough, or aware enough to notice this small sense of self without getting too carried away with it.
Does this resonate? Learn more at the upcoming 5 week course The Art of Living Well - a yoga and wellbeing course to build your inner strengths. Starting Tuesday 2 June.
Or check out the Beginners Yoga Course starting soon.
Jo Jarden is a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher in Christchurch New Zealand and the founder of Heart and Mind Yoga studio. She has 10 years experience in health promotion in New Zealand and Australia including management and promotion of national chronic disease prevention programs. She now helps people one on one with their wellbeing through yoga teaching, personal training, workplace yoga and wellbeing workshops.
Qualifications include: Certified Yoga Teacher Santosha Yoga Institute, Registered Australian Yoga Alliance 2017
Certificate in Advanced Personal Training, Fit College New Zealand, 2016
Bachelor of Science with Honours Public Health. University of Canterbury, New Zealand 2006
Bachelor of Arts Mass Communication and Psychology. University of Canterbury, New Zealand 2005