Take What Works and Leave the Rest

There is this awesome term in yoga called 'aparigraha' which means: non attachment or non possessiveness. It literally means "not grabby" or not hoarding with relationships, material possessions, money, energy, or time in your own life or in others. Aparigraha is 1 of the yamas (restraints) on the 8 limb path of yoga. This word has been coming up a lot for me lately in conjunction with another phrase I hear around our yoga studio a lot: "take what works and leave the rest." This idea of not being grabby with the people and things in your life is one that many of us might think we are super great at. I'm first to admit - I am not. For most of you that know me I am either a 0 or 100% gal - there isn't anything in between those 2 numbers for me. Having the sort of passion for others, things, and ideas can sometimes make oneself grabby. If you're my friend or family member you'll know that I'm loyal to a fault. But I'm hear to say that time has come for me to exert more aparigraha into my life. Hubby and I recently receive the gift of a once in a lifetime adventure (more to come on that in a later post :)) to explore and travel more than we could have ever dreamed of in our lifetimes. With this new opportunity, I feel a deep pull to take a closer look at the areas in my life where I can be less grabby. What are the material items I can really let go of - that I won't need to take on this adventure with me? What are the friendships that I just need to let be and give myself this opportunity to freely explore? What job am I holding onto that I think defines me as a member of western society and provides me with this idea of success that is actually just holding me back for better things to come? I'm not going tiny house minimalist on all of you, (just yet) (kidding, I still really love a fancy night at the Ritz) but seriously what am I holding onto that is just taking up space in life? Something my scholarly minded of a husband reminded me of is that when you are rich with financial security, this is what takes up your time. Spending, gifting, and maybe even investing the money is what your days are rich or filled with. When you are rich with time - with the chance to travel the world and have new experiences, take on new perceptions, live in new worlds - you become rich with experiences. What you thought money once gave you, experience now makes you feel the fullest. This is my commitment to letting go of my attachment to the outcome of this next season in life!
xoxo
- AM