I am not a black or white person. In fact, my skin tone is more olive, and not like a kalamata olive. In the summertime my skin turns bronze. My daughters are jealous because their Hispanic heritage has been washed down several generations and their skin doesn’t tan like mine. This post isn’t about skin color, but adapting to change. This morning in Yoga I was reflecting on flowing through the shades of gray to adapt to the changes in my life.
Shades of Gray and Yoga
Not to confuse you further because color has nothing to do with Yoga, but I am simply using an analogy that applies to my life. Two times a year I disrupt my life by moving states apart. In each state I apply Yoga as a discipline to aid in my recovery. I am a Christian loving Yogi.
A few years ago I discovered Sybil. She is my Yoga instructor in Delaware and it was love at first downward dog. What is so special about Sybil is in her class we flow to music, from Zach Bryan to Lorde to Nelly. She mixes in just the right music, like a disc jockey, and guides us through our workout. In the end, I am a sweaty mess and reenergized.
The other six months I live in Florida. It took me almost three years to find a Yoga instructor in Florida that offered me a workout as strenuous as Sybil’s instruction. Until I found Merri, who likes to flow with the likes of Flo Rida. Merri’s teaching style is she actually teaches. She explains the anatomy behind each pose and why it’s important to position ourselves just right. In the end, I walk away smarter and as Flo Rida says with a Good Feeling.
Adapting As We Flow
Much like a writer each Yoga instructor has a very unique style. Although I really enjoy Sybil’s instruction, if I choose not to learn from Merri I am at risk not only of getting injured, but of not growing.
In Sybil’s class I flow to the music, whereas Merri wants me to grow into my Yoga practice. They complement one another which allows me to adapt from one workout to the next. Flowing allows us to adapt into a new space in life. It’s how we can get the most out of living.
Getting Stuck
These same principle can be used in other areas of our lives. Our lives are in a constant state of change and if we cannot flow within life’s changes we will get stuck. When we are stuck we stop growing.
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Applying the Shades of Gray to Writing
The PG Version
I got stuck in my writing, because I had trouble figuring out what change should look like when I write. Sometimes it felt as if I wasn’t writing for you, but I would get stuck in my own message. That is because writing helps me work through my daily struggles. My message is important, but what good is the message if you don’t know the messenger?
I am Karen… beautifully flawed.
Being fluid as I share allows my writing to flow. It is my hope that you read from the beginning until the end, left with an understanding of my message and how it resonates with your own life.
There is one area that I see in black and white, my faith. I reference the Bible and even though scripture can be interpreted differently, the lessons I gleam I apply to my writing. I wrap up each blog with scripture. While I live my life in the shades of gray, these words are black and white.
I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 NLT
