Unlocking the Power of Choice

The process of being with “what is” does not have to be complicated. We often complicate it by letting our nervous system run our life: reacting instead of responding, making snap judgements about things around us or avoiding moments of discomfort. It’s understandable because here’s the thing: our nervous system is designed to keep us safe and comfortable and because of that, we inherently resist anything that seems to threaten that safety (even when it’s not ACTUALLY a threat).

Let’s take a real life example for a moment: a hot power yoga class!

The practice is designed to poke and prod your nervous system so that you can build awareness and adaptability to stress. Thoughts like “This is too _______ (fill in word of choice: hot, fast, slow, hard)” may pop in. We may start to have a slurry of thoughts about ourselves, our poses, our fellow yogis or the teacher. This part is inevitable, but if we treat those thoughts as directives (or reality), we then place ourselves in resistance to “what is” which is avoidable. Despite the fact that our bodies are perceiving the heat, poses, people as challenges (or threats to our physiological baseline), we are still the ones at the helm!

Suffering through class is a CHOICE. 
Being with what is happening in class is a CHOICE. 

Here are 4 steps to unlocking the power of choice in tough moments:

1. Notice. 

Aka: Be mindful. Be the observer. Witness yourself. 
In the simplest terms, this just means one thing: pay attention to what you are doing/thinking. You can’t change anything without being aware of it first. 

2. Allow.

Don’t run from what you notice. Don’t be scared of it. Don’t ignore it. Don’t get mad at it. Don’t numb it. Let it exist without letting it take over. Use your breath as your anchor in the tough moments. Coexist with it. 

3. Accept.

Arguably the hardest step…and here’s why: we often equate accepting something with agreeing with it. FALSE. Acceptance does not mean you wanted it to happen/agree with it/totally understand it/like it, etc. (We all have preferences/opinions…what we’re talking about is bigger than those.) 

So how do we “put down the metaphorical sword” and learn to accept? Start with YOU! Take inventory of your own perceptions and attitude. Understand when you are being run by your nervous system—when alarm bells are going off in your mind, when stories are whirring around, when you are reacting vs responding. Be honest AND compassionate with yourself in the tough moments.

4. Choose.

Woo, this is the juicy part! This is the culmination of all the steps. Being aware of yourself, allowing discomfort when it pops up and working on your relationship to what’s happening collectively unlock the power of CHOICE. When you get to this part, a lot of doors open up and you can ask yourself any of these:

-What is available to me when I’m not being played by my nervous system? 

-What would my highest Self do?

-What do I NEED right now to stay with my breath?

Choice means that YOU run this thing! Not your emotions, not your impulses and not your stories. 

Choice = freedom.