Life lessons from water
I’ll never forget my first major winter storm in Portland.
It was 2016, and I had moved to Portland from Chicago in 2014.
Being a starchy mid-western girl, I understood a winter storm, or so I thought.
I learned that snowy winter storms do not happen frequently in Portland, therefore the city does not provide the full infrastructure I was used to having during such a phenomenon.
When snow falls in Portland, the city stops for the most part. Chaos ensues, and sometimes, unable to climb icey hills, people abandon their cars on the side of the road.
During this 2016 snow-pocalypse, I had been granted early release from work.
Upon hitting the road, I learned that everyone had been granted early release from work.
The snow is coming down, the temperature drops, and I was stranded in traffic for four hours for a commute that normally took 20 minutes without food, water, and toilet.
Fast forward to last week, when most of the country was hit with a winter storm of varying degrees. I was released early from work, and got myself home immediately. Almost seven years later, and that first Portland winter storm experience hasn’t completely left my body.
Ice and snow are water. Water is a powerful force of nature.
Water has unusual properties that make it different from other liquids. It is the only common substance that is naturally found as a solid (ice), liquid (water), or a gas (water vapor).
Water is malleable and it takes the shape of any container it’s being held in like a cup, bottle, or a riverbed. This is a valuable lesson we can apply to our lives.
Just like water, we too can be malleable and adapt to the circumstances around us.
Life is full of challenges and obstacles, and it's important to learn how to flow around them instead of resisting them. We may not always be in control of our external environment, but we can control our response to it.
Being malleable means being open to change and growth.
It means being flexible and adaptable, and not being afraid to step outside our comfort zones. Just like water can change its shape and flow around obstacles, we can change our mindset and attitude to overcome challenges.
This week’s episode of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Kari is called Flow Like Water.
Maybe you can relate—sometimes I feel like I’m floating down the river of life, completely immersed in the flow and beauty of it all. Other times, I feel like a 1982 Toyota Camry with bald tires trying to get up the icey hill of life, ready to abandon the mission on the side of the road.
I love taking this principle to the mat. Water is a valuable teacher. Its malleability and ability to adapt to its surroundings can teach you important lessons about being open to change, finding your own path, and taking care of yourself. I invite you to welcome the element of water into your practice this week. Flow is the absence of resistance. What does it feel like to move like water?
This week’s episode:
The nice thing about having classes on-line is that most of us were still able to gather for yoga this week, despite the weather. I’d love to see you live for class soon. If you have any questions, don’t be a stranger.
With love,
~Kari
