“Through yoga, we’re not transforming into something we aspire to, we’re transforming into the very thing that we are innately: our best Self.”
Did you know that when a caterpillar begins her transformation into a butterfly, she doesn’t just grow antennas and wings? No, no, the caterpillar actually fully dissolves in some sort of cocoon-soup and it’s from this DNA-broth that the caterpillar’s cells will re-arrange into a butterfly.
There is a clear message here, my friend, when things dissolve into a hot mess and it's hard to tell how things will re-arrange themselves, it's because a new, brighter, beginning is around the corner.
How many times have your life look like a hot butterfly soup?
I've had a few of those moments when everything around me had to liquefy to begin the metamorphosis of my better self. One of those moments was when I moved to New York City. I had to leave behind my very comfortable "young professional" lifestyle in the ever gorgeous Savannah, GA and listened to my soul call towards a "soul-full hustler" lifestyle in NYC. That was a rough lesson in what leisure is and what disposable income means. Through the few years of adjustment, when my mind was in agony and doubt, my surroundings and my heart opened in ways that I couldn't have imagined. How did I manage? Yoga helped, meditation helped, new friendships helped, self-help books helped, it all helped!
By the time my self-made lifestyle wings had emerged, I was a new man. A more confident, kinder and more resourceful man emerged from that cocoon.
That's the thing with transformation, if we aren't practicing awareness, we'll miss the gorgeous colors of our new wings.
I've learned to to recognize the signs and results of self evolution, to look with loving eyes those moments when things fall apart, and to remember that when things fall apart is because they need a new foundation. I’ve learned to LOVE these butterfly moments and, almost enjoy the effort it takes to unfold my new wings after each transformation. Yes, I'm saying almost because it feels like hell every time.
[ On a side note for those searching souls that want to quit it all and start anew: Was my drastic lifestyle change useful in my Spiritual Evolution? YES! Was it necessary? NO. There are less dramatic and less painful ways to grow new wings. If your caterpillar is feeling antsy, reach out for help.]
*this content was inspired by a newsletter I sent in September 2015...a good example of how change is part of everything
