“I bend so I don’t break” is a well-known, (if not cliché) quote in the yoga circles. Many yogis, myself included, found yoga through situations that forced them to bend to the point of almost breaking.
Our daily bending is symbolic. It points to something bigger. It’s a reminder that there are times when you will have to yield or bend to a situation or person, but it doesn’t have to break you. As Marcus Aurelius pointedly said “You don’t have to turn this into something”. Nor does this life situation have to define you. Through our practice, we learn that while we do not have to mold ourselves to others’ ideas, point of views, etc., that not everything will go our way 100% of the time. So we bend for balance.
To achieve and maintain balance, we must have a clear understanding of why, for what and whom are we willing to bend. Otherwise, we risk setting our inner world out of balance, allowing for guilt, resentment and fear to set it and take over.
In the last couple of year, as a collective, we have experienced an immense amount of bending, feeling like this might be what finally break us. In the days, weeks and months to come, we will all face situations that will allow us to practice our metaphorical bends. But unless you have a solid foundation and clear understanding of how to navigate these situations with grace, you might find yourself bending to the point of breaking. Yoga, meditation, and a well-rounded fitness routine are great tools to help you navigate confidently any life situation that might require you to yield, to bend, to surrender. These tools help ground you, give you the space to think, without over analyzing or making up stories, allowing you to operate from your highest expression and to bend, so you don't break.
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