The Path of Acceptance

by Loren Boyd

 

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts of our yoga practice is the ability to accept others as they are.

With the state of the world so divided, so many perspectives, circumstances, and opinions from person to person, this seems to be a very valuable gift to cultivate right now if we want to live more joyful lives.

The beauty of this is that it starts with us first accepting ourselves.

This has come to be something I really love about my practice. No matter my state of body or mind, I keep showing up to my mat because it gives me the opportunity to witness my own experience and practice not judging it. I get to practice consciously observing my own sensations, thoughts and feelings without attaching to them. What an incredible experience it is to be human! For me, there is so much freedom and empowerment in this. It’s not always easy, but it has gotten easier over time, and now – enjoyable. I can smile when I notice certain thoughts coming in, I am compassionate toward myself as I remember my humanness in these moments, whether I’m feeling happy, sad, angry, or something else. It doesn’t matter. It’s all just an experience I am having, moment to moment, one breath at a time.

Becoming conscious witnesses of our own experience is a skill obtained through practice, and it becomes a great gift when we are able to do so without judgment. Because then… it starts happening off the mat.

We talk to someone who has extremely different political views than we do – or parenting practices – and though we may witness some inner turbulence arise, we realize we don’t have to act on it. We find that we are able to engage with people in a new way, rooted in acceptance of who they are because we know ourselves and accept ourselves. We are okay with who we are, so we can be okay with who they are.

This powerful shift in our relationships changes our entire worldview, as it affects every relationship in our lives, not just with people but with nature, with our circumstances, and more… our relationship with life itself shifts. We begin to accept life on life’s terms.

And we get here through working on the most important relationship we will ever cultivate… the one with our Self. Our daily spiritual practices are what drive us in this direction of love and unity. Discipline is key. Stay committed to what works for you. Keep loving yourself fiercely. Keep engaging in the activities that spark joy and bring you to the present moment.

A friend recently said that magic is putting intention to action. I loved how simple that was. I do magic every day. Everything I do is intentional, and when we start living this way, we begin really manifesting the life we truly desire.

The path of acceptance is a courageous one, and it’s definitely not always easy. But it’s always worth it. Keep choosing yourself. Keep choosing this moment. Keep choosing your life, just as it is right now. The world needs you to keep doing the work!