Gratitude for the Darkness
The days are getting shorter, and we are finding ourselves in the literal darkness more often. This is nature’s way of inviting us to align our minds and bodies with the season. It’s a time to rest, to turn within ourselves and recognize, accept and even celebrate the darker parts of our own lives. Life’s path is not linear but rather a spiral. We will come back to the same places again and again and again. It’s the inner work we do, in the dark, that will determine how affected our minds and emotions will be each time we face that same dark side the next time around.
In Yoga there is a sanskrit term “Spanda” that speaks of how consciousness moves in waves, like a divine pulse. This quality of Spanda speaks to the continuing expansion and contraction of life, of the universe, of the mind. It’s continuous, like the breath, like the ocean waves, forever coming in and going out. Life will always expand and contract. There will be parts filled with light and then dark. It is inevitable. No matter how light the light parts are, you will come upon the darkness again.
But we receive much more from the darkness than we ever will from the light.
The gift of the darkness is that it gives us the opportunity to look for the beauty in our lives. We get to grow and change from our experiences. We can learn the tools, through the practice of yoga and meditation, to overcome, to better ourselves, to learn lessons for enduring the human life challenges and even to teach others from our experiences. When we overcome, we become stronger. We build a mental-emotional body that can endure. When we teach others we can positively affect lives exponentially. It is through the darkness that we become better at being human. Find gratitude for the dark places in your life, because they will show you who you really are.
When we begin to accept and celebrate the blessings that it provides, it will become less heavy each time. Inner work is not easy work, but life will continue to move in that spiral, to expand and contract, regardless of your decision to do the work. “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.”
Don’t be afraid of the dark, take the opportunity to learn, grow and change. Don’t know where to start? There’s no one right answer for all. Just start asking questions, and let those questions lead to more questions. Journal, sit, move on your mat, get quiet, cry, maybe even in the literal dark. Surround yourself with others who are looking for the same growth in life. Here at dharma, we hope to hold space for you to bring all parts of yourself, join us, grow with us.
We choose growth. Thankful for the blessings of the lessons in the dark.
