Getting lost and finding your way… its a part of life…
Change can be unnerving – to say the least. Routines are a great way to feel good. It gives structure, purpose and allows us to make the most of our time. Having a plan of what you’re going to do and where you’re going to be usually brings a level of security and purpose to our lives.
And although we may not notice patterns, they are in fact all around us; be it the time of day you have your coffee, or the side of bed you sleep on. Every one of us could be described as a ‘creature of habit’. Even our pets have a routine. Have a think about your dog or cat. Start to notice the birds in the trees. All have patterns to their day.
And although it’s nice to break free of these every now and then, ‘hello summer holidays and good bye morning commute’, for the most part, our daily patterns are often the parts of our lives that root us and make us feel settled.
So what happens when our routine is sent askew? When, for whatever reason, the usual has become different, and the regular has become irregular?
Because no matter how much we love consistency, no matter how much we are comforted by it and cling to it, the truth is we live in a world full of change. Life is constantly in a state of flux, and while this opens up the possibility for new chapters and discovery, change can also bring huge power to overwhelm and unnerve. It can leave us feeling without a sense of purpose, without the structure in which we build our day upon. And if patterns have been developed for long enough, we can begin to intrinsically identify with them. So when they leave us, we feel lost.
So how do we cope? In a world where the only consistency is change, how do we give ourselves the structure we crave, while also retain the ability to flow easily with the tide of life?
For me, it’s getting on my mat and coming back to my yoga practice. Be it ten minutes or an hour – my practice is always a place I feel home. And no matter how turbulent things are in my life, it’s a place I go to connect-in with myself, to nourish, replenish and recharge.
I’ve recently moved to another country; to a city I love and have always wanted to live in, but where my whole routine and environment has changed.
My day to day consists of finding a place to live, trying to find work, making new friends. Any level of change can be tiring, but when a lot happens at once it can seem insurmountable. Our minds need time and space to work things out one at a time. So what am I doing? I’m making lists, and working through things slowly. I’m trying to be kind to myself along the way, and I’m building into this new unknown world of mine, my own small familiar patterns; things that can ground me, things that comfort me.
Very soon the unknown world around me will become familiar. This strange place will one day feel like home. But until then I know I always have my mat, my yoga practice, and my breath. Those things are my constant in times of change. What are yours? What are the things that root you in times of change? I’d love to know.
Caoimhe x