One of the most important lessons I have learned in life is that real growth takes the rain and the shine. And sometimes, when it rains, it pours.
“The only constant in life is change” – Heraclitus.
Storms teach us how to find stillness from within. I share this wisdom and knowledge with my students during my yoga classes. I remind them that after every session, they will return to their usual busy lives, and when outer chaos arises, they can always find their inner peace from within. It’s easier said than done, but there are simple ways to cultivate a calm and peaceful mind.
Practicing meditation on a daily basis has been proven by Harvard scientists to restructure parts of the brain. Meditation is the exercise of focusing on your breathing, rather than allowing your mind to be overtaken by racing thoughts and negative emotions. You can try meditating for five minutes daily to start, and then build up to anywhere between fifteen to thirty minutes per day. Studies show that this increases emotional awareness and productivity, which can be profoundly healing to those who suffer from anxiety or depression.
One of my students, who I will name “Sara” to protect her privacy, arrived at our weekly Saturday morning class looking distraught. As a yoga instructor, I have become highly empathic and sensitive, which means that I can spiritually and energetically sense other people’s emotions. I could sense that Sara was in great distress. After we said “Namaste” to one another and rolled up our mats, Sara asked if she could speak to me in my office.
“I’m going through a divorce,” she said. “I’m so stressed and anxious that I cannot even focus during yoga class. It’s affecting me too much and I don’t know what to do. I need to find a divorce lawyer who specializes in families with children, based in Santa Ana.”
When my students come to me in times like these, I like to remind them of two powerful quotes by two of history’s greatest thinkers.
“To be human is to suffer” – a common translation of the Buddha.
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” – Albert Einstein.
We make plans and hope for the best, and despite our honest efforts, things do not go according to plan. One of many such tragedies in life is that of love. No one wishes to experience heartbreak and the ensuing difficulty of separating legally and financially.
A week later, my friends and I were at our weekly Sunday gal’s brunch when my best friend from high school Liz had some sad news to announce: she and her husband of twenty years were divorcing. Oh! Why was it that both Sara and my friend Liz were going through divorces? Perhaps it was synchronicity?
Liz didn’t seem too upset though. She said that after reviewing several law firms in the area, she had found the best divorce lawyer in Santa Ana: Tamara Shuff Mortensen of Shuff Law Firm. Liz was excited to close one chapter of her life in order to start a whole new chapter. For her, she found peace in knowing that she had hired the right attorney!
Shuff Law Firm, a Professional Law Corporation
2634, 2107 N Broadway #301, Santa Ana, CA 92706, United States