How Yoga Teaches Us The Joy of Impermanence

Yoga is not just about standing on your head, it is also a way of life, which includes the mythology of a trilogy of Gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. They represent the existence and passage of all life: that all thoughts, images, feelings, senses, physical objects, your body, your lover, the trees in neighborhood park, in fact anything and everything you can think of, is born, lives and dies. As Yoga master Swami Satchidananda taught, It's all about coming and going!

Recently we were at a memorial service for our dear friend Susan, who had unexpectedly died. It was a celebration of her life and reminded us, yet again, of how precious and quick life is, here one minute, gone the next. At the same time, Mumbai was assaulted and nearly 200 people killed for no apparent reason, people who were perhaps on holiday or a spiritual journey, or just eating lunch. Here and then gone. There are no guarantees. The only real security is there is none.

The world around us is not the same as it was just a moment ago. Right now leaves have fallen and winter is coming. Babies have been born, people have died, clouds have passed overhead, waves have risen and fallen. Always there is constant change. Who we are now is not who we were last year, last week, yesterday, even a few minutes ago. Already we have changed, our thoughts are different, some of our cells have died while others have been created.

Yet it is not always easy to accept this reality! There is a well-known story of a woman who comes to the Buddha in tears as her only son has died. She begs him to bring her son back to life; the pain of his death is too much for her to bear. Finally, the Buddha agrees. He says he will bring the boy back to life, but only if the woman can get him a single mustard seed from a house where no one has ever died. The distraught woman rushes off and proceeds to go from door to door trying to find a home that has never experienced a death. Of course, she cannot find a single place.

Although there can be sadness with impermanence, there can also be great joy, such as the passing of our friend who is now out of pain. Surprising as it may seem, impermanence can really be a great blessing, we can find a tremendous freedom in the knowing that this is the way it is, this is the flow, the rhythm, that all things are coming and going. Impermanence is a characteristic of every situation, every encounter, mood or idea, there is constant change, disappointment and elation, nothing stays the same, not even for a second. Change is the only thing we can be sure of!

What a relief! Just imagine if everything was permanent! Imagine how boring it would be if we were always the same: there would be no butterflies, no full moon, no cherry blossoms and no cherries. Impermanence is the reality of life, so if we resist it then we are resisting the meaning of being here, which is to be always becoming something different, other than what we were before.

Yoga teaches us to be aware of how we resist change and how we can let go. Look at your life and see how many things you thought would be there that are no longer, and how many new things have come into being. Consider how your life would be if nothing ever changed. And then count the great blessings that come with change and with impermanence.

Let us know: make a comment on our blog and voice the joy of impermanence!

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Ed and Deb Shapiro are authors of over 15 books and lead meditation retreats and workshops. Deb is the author of the award-winning book Your Body Speaks Your Mind. They are corporate coaches and consultants, and they are the creators of Chillout daily inspirational text messages on Sprint cell phones. See their website: www.EdandDebShapiro.com

Comments

[Timfreke]

Wonderful post Ed and Deb.. very inspiring! Both of my elderly parents are seriously ill right now so i feel i am very conscious of impermanence... sometimes that can be scary .. but mostly i find it wakes me up to wonder, gratitude... and most important of all... love.

big love

Tim Freke

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Timfreke- I feel for you. Your attitude is commendable. I had to learn this from an early age as both my mother and stepmother passed on early in my life.

In the spirit,

Ed

[krcok]

Hi Ed and Deb. Thank you for another great posting. To me, the best part of impemanance and change is that my true self, that which is part of everyone and everything, stays the same. So if I remember that, then I have more fun being the witness to the changes. Even sad ones.

You are both great, glad you are blogging on Huf Post. Thank you.

[gabrielmoss]

Thank you for reminding us about the impermanence of life. You are not only speaking truth but speaking a truth that we in the west dearly need. I have heard it said that suffering is 10% pain and 90% resistance to pain. This also applies to change because pain is apart of this shifting life we live.

Gabriel

[AndiG]

Hi Ed & Deb...great blog!!! Just this morning the angel card I drew was RELEASE, and then reading your inspiring words of wisdom was quite auspicious. Indeed the only thing we know for sure and can count on is CHANGE. We might as well make the choice to embrace the ever changing energy inherent in our daily lives...why not??? I believe I'll call it "going with the flow"!!!!

[chaybaybay]

I, Chalie, believe a similar realization swayed me to practice positive thinking, observing, and interacting with the world in an effort to make sure I make the most of the time I am graced with. By moving past the fear and sadness the concept usually evokes and toward understanding and acceptance, I have been able to achieve a level of personal happiness and "presentness" that has transformed and saved my boyfriend and I's relationship. I no longer experience sadness, worry, or fear from thoughts of our relationship having no guarantee, nor do I still look to him for happiness and approval. Instead I live every moment with him to the fullest and our time consists of nothing but joy, love and understanding in which we both practice self fulfilled happiness and approval. Thus, for me, the biggest joy of impermanence has been that it forces me to live in the now since I will never get the past back or the future for sure. The only thing I know I have to work with is the moment I am in so why not make the very best and fully experience it so that if it is my last I will at least know I lived it up! As I always say, the meaning of life is experience and the memories and growth those experiences cause so you should always try to make your experiences worth living and remembering so you can grow the most in the best possible ways!

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

chaybaybay-- bravo. Good for you. You are an inspiration.

I love hearing and knowing how people deal with life. Happiness is our birthright. Thank you for sharing.

May all things go well for you.

Treasure yourself,

Ed

[Russell Bishop - Huffpost Blogger]

Another great post and reminder about living in the present moment where all is full and complete. Thanks for being and for Being.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Russell you are one of my favorite bloggers --so you comment feels really good! I look forward to your next one.

In service,

Ed

[LordMoon]

Yoga teaches one that what is eternal does not change. Only the external is impermanent.

The Eternal spiritual does not change because it is a reflection of God.

The mind is just another prison, filled with ideas that cover the soul with the dirt of the material.

Forget reason and logic, they are just another dream.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

In Yoga--which has it's roots in India, they say, "Om Tat Sat" which means- "I Am That" It is the realisation that I am that which is omnipotent, omnipresent. Ones true self is one with God. There is no separation. The world is Maya, illusion --

Hari Om Tat Sat -.not the body, not the mind immortal self I am

In the highest Realisation or Truth--God is Real all else is Unreal

Yours in Yoga,

Swami Brahmananda--Ed

[Lizzypie]

Yes indeed. I am very happy that you are writing these blogs in the Huffington Post. There is not a separation between the spiritual world and the "politacl" world, because at the end of the day, politics is about how we view the world and how we treat ourselves and each other - and it is good to dream that one day there won't be such a chasm between the spiritual world and the way politicians (who are but a reflection of the people - us) govern. So thanks for your continued reminders of the aspiriation for ENLIGHTENED SOCIETY !!

[Waylon Lewis - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for the post. Unfortunately in the West it does seem yoga is forgetting its roots"it's becoming just another cool new exercise.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

You are spot on Waylon and you should know. I have read your popular Elephant Magazine that deals with Yoga.

Lauren Cahn and you have inspired us to blog more about Yoga in more detail in our next blog.

Yours in Yoga,

Ed

[Lauren Cahn - Huffpost Blogger]

I agree that we all must accept impermanence as the condition of our lives. And your article illustrates, beautifully, many lovely qualities of impermanence. But I am not sure I understand, at least form your article, how YOGA teaches us impermanence. Leaving aside Vishnu and Brahma and any other Gods - which are not an inherent part of all yoga practices, and certainly not mine - can you elaborate (perhaps in another article?) as to what about yoga teaches us to embrace impermanance?

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Great question! Many people might think that impermanence is primarily Buddhist.

Yoga is a vast collection of teachings and Hatha yoga, which is what most people think of as yoga, is just one aspect of this.

Other forms of yoga include Bhakti yoga, which is the path of devotion; Karma yoga, which is the path of service; and Gyana Yoga yoga, the path of wisdom. Within the philosophy of this great teaching, is the understanding of the continual round of birth, life and death, which includes impermanence. This may not be taught in most hatha yoga classes, but it is certainly taught as a foundation of yoga philosophy.
In Yoga, Ed

[ken108]

Well all this is well and good. But to quote that great yogi George Carlin:

"The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death! What"s that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you"re too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you"re young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating ¦and you finish off as an orgasm."

[yogajan]

Thank you for the thought provoking post. After reading the depressing stories (elsewhere on Huff Post) of how people have been affected by the economy, I became very upset and cynical. Then I looked at the most beautiful sunset over the Pacific that was in hues of pink, blue and lavender. Nature became important to me and how life is so impermanent, but in that impermanence is the opportunity to explore, the love and to live.

[LovingHope]

I love Yoga. I have been neglecting it, though. I'm going to get in touch with myself and everything around me. I need it. I've been under a lot of stress. So, thank you for this article. It reawakens my inner self.

[neosoul]

Yes yes¦exactly! I know this intellectually but yet still I resist. What a difficult battle, and it"s reflected in my physical yoga practice as well. I look forward to the day when, like you, I can accept change and embrace it with the same grace.

Thank you.

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

neosoul accept that you resist. There is nothing you need to do, just notice and be aware that you are resisting.

You don't need to struggle with your mind. Many emotions and thoughts arise, see them and let them be. They will naturally move on. You can even label resistance when it appears, say to yourself, 'resistance' or even 'hello resistance I know you.'

Treasure yourself,

Ed

[AnthonyTaylor]

Thanks Deb and Ed. - I am fascinated by the idea that in nature everything always changes; and that in humans, when change does not happen, it is because we are putting in effort to stop it, Obviously, this tires out and drains us of our vitality. We exhaust ourselves by resisting change. I see this everyday in people who hold themselves rigidly stiff, wearing themselves out doing nothing more than sitting in a chair. I do not know much about Yoga, but I imagine that yoga can help us to embrace natural changes, rather than tightening in response to them. And what about death? Is death simply the ultimate change from one state to another? And if so, wouldn't that make death the greatest temptation to cling on, or looked at another way, the most delicious and blissful release? Thanks again. big love, Tony