Go as You Go

I’m sure like many of you, I am amazed at how quickly it became November! It has been a time disorienting year to say the least. We are all craving answers and some sense of normalcy. Covid-19 brought an abrupt throwing of us out of the nest, so to speak- whether we were ready to fly or not. And it’s figuring out of how to move forward that has many of us struggling.

This past weekend I was listening to a webinar on Yoga and the Cardiovascular System. The presenter was born with a rare congenital abdominal aortic anuerysm. She was the first person to survive birth and bypass surgery at just one month old. In the webinar she shared that a year and half after the surgery, her family moved from Montreal to Toronto that resulted in disconnecting from the medical team that had saved her life. However, they were not concerned about moving away as her condition was so rare, there was no preexisting blueprint of care to follow, so they were charting new territory no matter what.

In her story, she related that decision similarly to living life and stated, “You go as you go”.

This declaration immediately stuck with me and I chewed on it for the entire day. What wisdom in this simplicity! As humans, we are constantly looking for the solution on how to do things. Just go online and google, “how to” anything and endless results will appear. We want the step by step instructions on how to be a good parent, a better lover, cook the most amazing meal, build a bird house, delete an app, and so on. And while we can certainly gain wisdom from those who have done things before us, what do we do when it’s never been done and there are no instructions to follow? What do you do when there is no map for the new terrain you are forced to explore?

We make a choice. We choose to either stay as we are or take the leap, and go as we go. This year has brought unprecedented changes and experiences. There is no pre-existing guide for how to move through it.

In so many ways, THIS is what living life is about. It’s trusting in ourselves and allowing our own intuition to serve as our guide. It’s not worrying if something has been done before, it’s recognizing that this is your opportunity to experience something new! To be the creator of your own set of instructions – instructions that will be as unique as you are.

This is what awaits us when we are willing to toss out all that we have known, what we have perceived to have lost, and to trust that life can unfold beautifully if only we allow ourselves to go as we go. When we let go of the fear of the unknown and our attachment to the past, it lands us directly into the present moment – the ONLY moment where life truly exists.

As the studio founder and owner, I have been challenged each and every day to find creative ways to not only keep the business alive, but to let go of how we used to share in the practice of yoga. I am the first to express eagerness to return to our indoor studio, but I have also been appreciating all the wonderful experiences that we otherwise would not have had without shifting to online and outdoor classes.

I think about our community all the time, wonder how everyone is doing, and how we can continue supporting wellness no matter what shape or form it takes. I am certain, that it has been my willingness to look within myself and be curious about what new paths can unfold, that has brought us to where we are now.

I will keep working to be able keep our studio space for when we can return indoors, and in the meantime, to keep adapting as we go.

Take good care of yourself.  Remember to pause during your day, connect to your breath, and bring awareness to the present moment.

With love and light, may you go as you go.

Om Shanti Om