Sometimes that “call” is drastic and strong, we can remember that moment that changed everything. Sometimes is more subtle, change begins to permeate and we don’t notice until the situation creates discomfort, and is not possible to look to another way. This is the moment to have courage and face what is happening, without trying to run away from it.

Then comes the phase of putting the responsibility outside. We blame, we criticize, we judge… we get angry and sad, altogether. The floor is moving and we can’t deny it. We begin to notice that our expectations won’t be met but refuse to accept it, we resist the situation. This is the moment to give ourselves time to express our emotions and let them flow through us, or as I like to say, this is the moment to breathe our emotions.

The fourth phase is like a desert, a moment of introspection that could have a little taste of sadness or melancholy, but by this moment we know that we have to adapt. A moment to release and let go, especially expectations. This is the moment to ask ourselves what can I let go and which boundaries may I establish to feel better?

It takes courage and love to go through this process, we need tools so we can stay present and don’t get stuck in one of the phases. The courage is to be able to see what is happening and remains close to our center, the love is to give us the time to process and really feel the wide range of emotions we are able to experience, without refusing the ones we don’t like. And although we don’t necessarily move step by step through these steps, and instead go up and down as we experience life, we have the responsibility to give ourselves time to be with ourselves, to detach from our thoughts, and find the calmness within us again and again. That is the gem of yoga, constant practice, and unattachment, we learn it on the mat to use it in our daily lives. All the asanas, the pranayamas, and the concentration techniques were created to guide ourselves back within as we experience life because change will come, but as Maya Angelou said, nothing can dim the light that shines from within. You have that light and you are that light, close your eyes and go there, sometimes it might feel that is too far away, but it’s always one breath away. Experiencing change with love and courage is understanding that truth.