Embracing Change and Finding the Sunrise at the End of it

We are in the season of change. For many of us, the seasons have turned from hot to cold very abruptly. That was my experience here in LA. The heat blazed on all fall until I went to Florida recently, then I came back to icy (okay, relatively speaking!) temperatures.

Beyond the weather, there may be greater changes happening in your life in general. Ayurveda says that fall is the season of Vata, which initiates movement in a microcosmic sense (the flow of digestion, for instance) and also in a macrocosmic sense (the wind rustling the trees).

Perhaps you may feel a shift in your work or goals related to your career, or an internal push to modify your lifestyle in some way or how you’ve been spending your free time. There may also be a change in your relationships or friendships.

Change can bring up resistance. Especially if your current situation is pretty “comfy” and humming along, change can feel disruptive and bring up fear. But the good news is that at the end of change and challenges in life is a sunrise. Experiences that are difficult to move through, whether in your personal or professional life, can help you feel connected to strength and depth within yourself, and feel like you are moving from deeper currents instead of moving around on the surface. After all, life is ever-changing, and it’s how you deal with the changes that determines the happiness, joy and peace in your life, not necessarily the outer details themselves.

So how do we deal with change in the best way? It’s important to be really present to what is. It’s easy to try to run away or deny what is really happening. But it’s important to be authentic if there is a dissonance between the outer and the inner if what you feel and what is going on isn’t matching up. Being present and facing the change head on requires courage, which is a Goddess quality for all of us to hone. We all have the innate potential within us to be courageous, but it needs to be summoned.

Durga Ma uses 8 different weapons for overcoming delusion, whatever may be needed at the time: the fierceness of a sword to cut through, or sometimes the peacefulness of a lotus.

Find your voice, your expression. If you’re like me, you turn to words and writing, and for me, it helps to write things in my journal out, to access a deeper place of understanding of what I am truly feeling before taking action. Or maybe you like to talk things out with a trusted friend or relative. There are many ways to express yourself as you move through change, but find the ways that truly resonate with you.

Change is not easy, and it may always seem like the easier route is to bury it and not face it, at least for a while. But I believe this can delay growth and forward movement. Sometimes, circumstances and situations that we are not in control of dictate change, but we have to choose how to respond to it. Here’s where I think surrender, the yogic quality, comes into play. It doesn’t mean you roll over and not do anything at all. But it means you let go of resistance of what is, and then act in a courageous and graceful way for what actions you can take in the new circumstances. For instance, if you have to move because your lease ran out and your landlord is jacking up the rent an astronomical amount, instead of spending time fuming and being angry and plotting revenge by dumping out your doggie’s doodie bags in the basement of the building…you can look for a new place and find the positive aspects of it that were lacking from your other space.

Its easy to fall into habits and routines in life which is why I have always been a big proponent of traveling, as it forces us to shift and experience new surroundings, cultures and adventures that may seem challenging at first, but help to build confidence, self-worth and opens the door to self discovery.

That’s what it is – looking for the sunrise. The new beginnings, the light glimmering through in new and different ways. It may be in a different way, but the light always comes back.

What changes have you been resisting and ready to open up now? Or in what ways have you found yourself dealing with change in the best way?

On a personal note, I too have been through some changes this year that I wanted share with you. After several years together, my long-term partner John and I got married, which I shared with you on the blog. He and I are eternally connected, and love each other deeply. But this past winter we made the difficult decision to separate and began the shift from marriage to a deep unconditional friendship. We still love and respect each other very much, and he is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Despite the shift, we will continue to work closely together in all our current and future professional endeavors and we are both fully committed to continuing to be an endless beacon of light, love and support in each other’s lives. We appreciate and thank you in advance for respecting the private nature of the matter going forward.

Sending all my love,

Kimberly