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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen
This quote has been making the rounds lately, and it hasn't gone unnoticed by me. The ever-inspiring Marianne Elliott blogged about it here, and it has been sticking in my brain since then.
Here's the thing. The only thing that never changes is that everything changes. (My 10th grade English teacher would be so proud!) But as with all transformation, life doesn't happen in clean, straight lines. Things change rapidly for a while, and then plateau. (Nothing on top but a bucket and a mop...)
On the plateau, the ground is firm beneath you. The world solidifies, and everything goes along as normal. Days, weeks, months, years. And then suddenly, something changes, and the cracks start to appear. Everything we thought we could hold on to subtly shifts, and we have to adapt, or fall through the cracks.
The practice of yoga can help us to learn, by observation, how we personally react to change or challenge. As you strain to keep your breath steady in a Warrior sequence, or as you struggle to stay sane in Reclining Pigeon pose, you are learning about how your body and your mind react to tough situations. Whether you lash out, or curl inwards. Whether you view transformation as doors closing or doors opening. Whether you steam forth without looking or creep cautiously into unknown waters.
Experience gives us hope, for in the end, when the Earth has settled down and you find yourself on a new plateau, the Universe re-balances itself. You find equilibrium in new circumstances. Where only cracks stood before, light shines through.
Readers, what have you learned about how you react to change or challenge?