I’m not sad today. I just didn’t know what to do or say about my Dad’s birthday. And then I was working on a class around ‘letting go’ and I was reminded of a book he left me… and then this just came together. But I didn’t get it finished in time… I’m 74 minutes late…. (but who’s counting?)
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Everything we practice comes down to letting go. Letting go of tension, letting go of expectations, letting go of an exhale, letting go of attachment, letting go of how things should be or could be. Letting go of someone. #loveyoudad
When we practice letting go and keep looking forward, we start to feel what it’s like to just BE. It’s kinda freeing. To just BE. #beherenow
But how?! How exactly do we let go?
Someone gave us an example of this today. They found themselves on a flight with a seat that didn’t recline and because of their yoga practice, they decided to find other ways to relax with their breathing. They let go of their seat expectations. #breathingmatters
Another person gave us the example of being in a scary physical situation where they had no control. So they decided to practice savasana. They let go of control and surrendered to the moment. It helped. #gowiththeflow
I recently had the example of letting go of my Dad. I had to decide to stop looking back and focus on the future. I let go of what could have been so I could move toward what will be. #justkeepswimmimg #cancersucks
You might think comparing uncomfortable flights and scary places with death is inappropriate. But they say…. how you do anything is how you do everything. If I can’t let go of my pet peeves or discomforts and move on, how will I ever survive letting go of a pet or a parent. #mombetterliveforever
So the moral of lengthy email #5 for this year and what happened in each example above… is:
You have to decide to Let Go.
You have to stop hanging on or looking back. You gotta be enthusiastic about the future. And you’ll want to fill your heart and soul with every good feeling moment possible. Living fully. #gobigorgohome
Start with tree pose so that when the storm hits you’re able to sway. To let go of your leaves and look forward to spring.
Why this message? Why today? Cause it’s my Dad’s birthday. I felt like we had something to say. He left me a book with a poem flagged. It’s called You Decide. I wrote him a sonnet in response. (also cause I prefer a little profanity and humor in some of my poetry).
You Decide by Dolores Dahl
Win some, lose some, you hear people say
Life is but a game of chance they utter in dismay
Tossed about by bitter winds, a victim of life’s storm
and in despair, they go nowhere, believing this the norm
Unaware that they decide, the course upon the sea knowing not,
that every thought, they send aloft decree
Is one day carried out, becoming their reality
Each request is granted for Life can but agree.
I Decide by me ; )
I’m telling you now I’ve got to let go
I’ve got to stop looking back cause I know
It fucks with my neck, it saddens my heart
It tightens me up and tears me apart
But how you might wonder, do I let go?
How do I simply forget all I know?
How do I unwind the stress in my mind?
What do I do with the space I might find?
I look straight ahead wherever I go
I keep moving forward, I exhale slow
I challenge myself to focus on fun
I saunter soulfully under the sun
I know I don’t have to keep it inside
Cause my Dad told me, he said, You Decide.
#HappyBirthdayDad
