New Beginnings and Spiritual Resilience

Welcome to my first Nourishing Words blog post! 

I have been telling myself for months that it’s time to start, but just haven’t found the motivation until now.  I’ve been telling myself for months that it’s time to start a lot of things that went on pause when my daughter was born last year… my morning ritual, daily yoga practice, reading for enjoyment, journaling, plant-based eating.

I spent last weekend in a yoga workshop training with one of my teachers, Barrie Risman, at Shakti Yoga.  Through our yoga practice, we explored new beginnings, cultivating strength and balance, and (re)-committing to practices that cultivate our own spiritual resilience.

I am inspired to begin anew and share with you all how this beautiful concept of spiritual resilience is resonating with me.

One definition of resilience is “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties.”  We are living in very intense times.  Many say that this is the Kali Yuga, an era of darkness wrought with conflict and discord that will eventually end in destruction.  I agree.

The thing about endings, however, is that they always give rise to new beginnings.  I can hear Sharon Salzberg’s well known quote in my head now, “we can always begin again.”  And she’s right.  We can (and most of us WILL) begin again millions of times as we learn, and remember, how to walk our path in a way that is most sustainable and most nourishing for each of us.

Beyond the obvious activities of practicing yoga, prayer or other contemplative practices, I am reminded that there are SO MANY activities that fill my cup and boost my ability to be resilient—walks in nature, sitting in the sun and moonlight, dancing and singing, cooking for my husband and daughter, traveling to new places, working in greenhouses, planting my backyard garden, connecting to my community, and even making donations.

So, we start and then stop, start and then stop again.  It’s a process and a journey.  What’s important to remember is that yoga will always meet us right where we are, every time.  Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras begin with “atha yogānuśāsanam”… NOW, yoga begins.  It brings us right into the present moment, and offers us the opportunity to seize the moment and (re)-commit to the things that build our spiritual resilience and our connection to something greater. 

What activities or actions do you practice regularly that contribute to the continued cultivation of your own spiritual resilience?   It’s different for everyone, and that’s a beautiful thing.