THIS SUMS IT UP

My latest non fiction read is a book called The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Buddhist Zen master, scholar, poet, and peace activist who passed away earlier this year. I love his books and teachings on mindful living.

The following paragraph in the book really struck a chord with me. I thought I would share because sometimes I feel like yoga can translate as "Everyone should be happy and carefree, love and light all the time." But in reality, life is not all rainbows and sunshine, we all face difficulties and downright hardships. I know I'm not alone in that, and neither are you.

"Spirituality is not religion. It is a path for us to generate happiness, understanding, and love, so we can live deeply each moment of our life. Having a spiritual dimension in our lives does not mean escaping life or dwelling in a place of bliss outside this world but discovering ways to handle life's difficulties and generate peace, joy, and happiness right where we are, on this beautiful planet."

Although yoga is not the cure all, it has literally changed my life. When I'm going through a tough time, I mediate on it, do yoga, and breathe, all in an effort to calm my anxiety. Does it take the difficulties away? No, but it puts things into perspective so that I can cope better. In actuality, that's really kinda simple isn't it?

Namaste,

Lisa