I can’t believe the summer is over and we are starting the new season of school and getting back to our daily routines. For me, the beginning of September feels like beginning of the calendar year in January. This transitional time is reminiscent of New Year's Day, where something old concludes, and something new emerges. I find myself filled with enthusiasm for new work projects and more yoga (while the kids are in school), and also filled with a bit of nostalgia of time passed. I've always been attuned to the profound effect of time on our lives.
In my younger years I was driven by the relentless pursuit of professional success, fearing that time might slip away. I worked tirelessly, sacrificing holidays and any free time. Then in my early 40’s when I became a parent my yearning shifted towards reclaiming free time. I often found myself reminiscing about the days before children, recalling how much I accomplished. As my children started school, I gained more morning hours for productivity and creativity, but struggled to strike a balance in the afternoons. I felt torn (and still am) between playing with my kids and being away from them to work and create something with the rest of the day hours.
I recognized that in each of these moments I was clinging to what no longer existed—a past version of myself. It was like reaching back and trying to grasp my former identity, even though it had transformed into something new. This is a common trap we humans fall into; we don't realize we're grabbing backward; we think we're sustaining forward. But in reality, there is no such thing: there's only the present. And every single moment is a continuous cycle of things ending and new beginnings. Everything is always dying and something new is always being born, and we can't halt this natural process. Nature itself never stops changing; it's in perpetual motion. Culture encourages us to attain a state of perfection and maintain it at all costs (while accumulating possessions), but nature never ever stops changing ; it is always in flow (your fingernails and hair are longer now then before starting reading this newsletter, even though you don’t see it). So we get attached to a specific state of being and perceive it as reality. And when change arrives, we resist it, desperately clinging to what's slipping away, as if our culture is built on preserving the impermanent, holding on what cannot be stopped, what is always leaving and arriving. What truly remains unchanging is our consciousness—the observer, the witness of it all.
So, time again, this new season I am learning to open my hand and trust the mantra: Let Go, Let Go, Let Go ...and embrace the changing seasons of my life with open heart and open hands. May I never stop reminding myself (and you) that everything is constantly evolving and changing, and that is OKAY. 🌿
The spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said “Thanks to Impermanence, everything is possible". As you read his wise words, feel the sense of peace and calm washes over you, trusting that with every ending comes a birth of something new and beautiful. 🧡
I look forward to seeing you on the mat or at one of my 2024 gatherings, in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Come join!
Danica
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