“In the same field stand both a mighty oak tree and a willow tree. The willow tree envies the power and strength that the oak tree possesses. One day a storm, with whipping winds and torrential rain, makes its way through the field. After the storm passes, the willow tree notices that the oak tree has fallen over in the storm. In a state of confusion, she asks the farmer what happened to the oak tree.
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The farmer tells the willow tree that although the oak was mighty and solid, it was also rigid and inflexible and when the winds were too much for it to resist, the oak tree collapsed under the pressure. The willow thought about herself for a minute. She realized that her ability to survive the storm was due to her flexibility and adaptability as she was able to bend with the wind to weather the storm.”
This fable is a perfect metaphor for our experiences in life. To be human means that we will experience storms along the path of life. We may not like it, but we cannot escape it. We struggle when we resist the storms because we may believe we cannot handle whatever is going on.
When we learn to approach storms like the willow tree, we learn to soften and allow ourselves to feel the pain knowing it cannot overtake us. We root ourselves to the ground, yet allow ourselves at the same time to accept the storm passing through. We accept whatever is going on and we adapt in the moment. We become flexible and resilient.
As you go through your day and your week, contemplate what it would mean to approach life’s storms-the mini ones or the major ones while balancing strength and resiliency. As taught in yoga philosophy, apply both the sthira – steadfast, courage, strength with the Sukha goodness, happy, sweetness, lightness and joy.
I will close this thought with a quote from teacher Robert Svoboda; “Cultivating sthira and sukha as we move through the days and seasons of our lives establishes a foundation for fully realizing our spiritual aspirations, for accomplishing our worldly goals, and for weathering the inevitable changes and difficulties that come our way.”
Laura Warf is the founder of the School of Happiness, which crafts methods integrating tools from ancient teachings to today’s cutting-edge research. The mission of the School of Happiness is to guide and inspire individuals to become conscious creators of their well-being in mind, body and spirit, following their eight essential elements to health and happiness. Laura is a healthy living advocate, passionate wellness educator and mind-body specialist offering classes, retreats and services in corporate wellness live and online.
Visit www.LauraWarf.com and www.SchoolofHappiness.ca/