We are all being asked to change, change again, and then change course again with no definite end in sight. And most likely, this new normal will be here to stay for some time. The old adage, “Change is the only constant” is ever present in our current state of affairs. Why do we fear change so much? I am guessing the nexus of that fear is because we don’t know what the future holds.
In my case, sometimes change has led to very challenging times. And yet other times, change has led to a brighter reality. While I have genuinely had many good instances of change in my life, I find it interesting how my mind dredges up the challenging times or even creates future scenarios with terrible outcomes. If I let my mind whirl out of control, I easily feel overwhelmed and stressed. I believe God’s unfailing grace encourages us to step back and determine our gazing point. Am I letting my mind run wild with the worst possible “what if” scenarios, and then reacting out of panic? Or am I allowing myself to be centered and grounded, and able to respond with a calm mind and gentle heart?
Our breath is happening involuntarily every moment of the day. In fact, I feel certain you are breathing right now. When I took my first yoga class years ago, at 100+ pounds heavier than I am now, the teacher said that above anything else, yoga was a breathing practice. I had gone there to lose weight and she was talking about breathing! Honestly, I thought I had just walked into a waste of my time. But I’ve come to know we can use our breath as a tool to calm our nerves, relieve our stress, manage our pain and maybe even support for you to port a healthy weight. And our breath is free and available to us any moment of any day.
Can you breathe slowly and deeply just one time? Now, try that again; inhale deeply and as you exhale slowly, let your shoulders relax and fall away from your ears. In that moment, you offered your mind a break from the constant barrage of tough news and became aware of your breath. This is commonly known as mindfulness. When we take these moments of replenishment, we are stronger and more resilient for whatever lies ahead.
Fear doesn’t play fair, but God does. Lean on Him in prayer. Keep breathing – slowly and deeply. You will remind your heart that this too shall pass, and you will be in a better place to face the unknown future.
– Tisha Tate Garcia, Hospitality Team
