“The transitions matter as much as the poses.”
-Kim Coletti, Yoga Teacher
One of the most visible transitions the world has ever seen is about to take place.
In a world consumed with destinations, transitions are undervalued, underestimated, and under-appreciated.
The in-between is the messy middle. It's ambiguous. And, it's truth-telling.
By their nature, transitions are a place of being off-balance. Sometimes, they feel shaky. And, when we're shaky, we are often afraid. Transitions give us a choice to keep moving forward or fall back into what has served us before.
The act of reaching for a steady state is just as much its own state as the steady-state itself. And, how we show up between points of stability is just as important (if not more important) than where we land for longer periods of time.
Transitions, and moving through them with presence and intention (rather than momentum or rush), help us build strength.
Here are three insights to help during transition:
- Focus on the gift of transition. Clinging to the past, holding frustration, or resisting forward movement is futile. Greet the transition with curiosity.
- Pay attention to the feelings that arise during a transition. Are you excited? Fearful? Set an intention for you how you'd like to experience this in-between: visualize your desired state through journaling or visualization meditation. Doing so will pre-program your brain to create your experience.
- Be aware of how you're navigating: are you moving through the transition using old mental muscles and belief systems instead of developing new ones? Practice openness. Our bodies can help. Turn your palms upward and ask for guidance. Or, try some yoga poses known to open your heart space.
Periods of transition are periods of growth. So, most of all...be kind and compassionate with yourself. You may find you need some extra sleep and periods of rest. You may need to coach yourself to listen more and talk less. And, you will absolutely need to identify when the Judge appears and is eager to render a verdict on your own behavior or that of others. Simply label condemning thoughts or judgements as those of the Judge, and let them go.
Transitions mean you're moving to a new place.
With practice, we can all learn to treat the transitions with as much respect as we treat the poses.