Why is Change so difficult?

“Why is change so difficult?”  When I ask this question, amongst my peers (who are mostly Yogis) I get a flummox of answers, telling me that it’s actually easy to change, and that change is the only thing that’s constant, and a long raft of other quotes from other worldly wise Masters who we resonate with, and we walk away with some nice quotes and phrases, that we then pipe out to others when we see them on the verge of accepting transition.  Then the urge is to tell a personal story of how I have changed, and am I not a brave warrior for being able to do so, and look at all the riches that have come into my life, because of the changes I have undergone.

Just because we understand what change is; just because we can appreciate change; just because we have had an experience of change, it does not mean we are ready for it right now, or that we even know how to go about it in the right way.  There are two ways we can change and both involve the Archetype of the Creator and the Destroyer from Carl Jung. It goes a little bit like this:

The first situation that pushes us to change is that things are untenable. We just can’t go on. It’s unacceptable. I’m hurt, I have been walked on, my boundaries have been crossed. I am angry, or frustrated, or feel like I am trapped in a web. I might even have a sense of hopelessness. and I need to walk away, to start again. And this works… for a while.

The second situation is to look for the patterns within yourself, and change this instead. Remember it’s easier to change what’s inside than what’s outside.

The problem that arises with change is the cause and effect of the creator/destroyer archetype.   When we change, the Creator Archetype flows in abundance through our psyche, because it is a universal energetic force that we desperately need to survive the change. It can be very expressive, and powerful, and allow  us to surf the plain of existence and create a new world, a better world. There is a great line from the film Bladerunner I often hear:   “..a new life awaits you in the off-World colonies. The chance to begin again in a golden land of opportunity and adventure”. To be honest, this was my mantra as I see off for London over 2 years ago. And it’s great!

But the Creator Archetype works hand in hand with the Destroyer Archetype. In order to create new from old,  then old patterns need to be let go of first. There needs to be an opportunity to create some energetic space to let the old energies and patterns to dissipate, in order to allow the new energies to flow freely.  I remember as a kid that my mom would sweep the old year out the back door, and welcome in the new year through the front door on the transition to a new year. An interesting Universal Law of the conservation of energy arises. If you don’t personally take the decision to let go, then the Universe will do it to you. It will visit you with destruction and decimation. There will be much more suffering and pain.To the degree that you ignore those Karmic stuff that you need to clear, you will end up reacting to situations, rather than responding to situations. This is what we call Chaos.

In my case, I had left a lot of unfinished business behind. But it came back to me, almost like going on a holiday, and when you get back to work, everything you left behind is just sitting there, waiting for you, smiling at you. I had to face it, and I still do every day. It’s a constant process of creating and letting go.

There are only so many times you can shut people out of your life, pull down the shutters, and start again, before eventually the Universe catches up with you. Remember the Universe is very very patient. It has waited millions, if not billions of years for this day, and it’s in no hurry…

I Wanted To Change The World By Unknown Monk, 1100 A.D.

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.

I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town.

I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family.

My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.

P.S. If you really resonate with this post, then please watch the youtube video below on Why People Don’t Heal


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The True meaning of Patience…

“I’ve waited 4 years to start this, put yourself in my shoes. Have you ever waited 4 years for anything in your life”.  I had no response. It’s was a trivial disagreement between a close friend and I,  on trading strategies.  I walked out of the room, because I didn’t know what to say. and the words rang inside my head all day like a Gong or a Church bell, shattering the silence of my peaceful little world.  I had to think. Nope. I really haven’t every waited 4 years for anything. what about… I could not think of a single event.

So, with a single statement, I put my dreams on hold, and once again I felt the facade of maya fall away and another step forward towards self-realization. What does Patience mean?  I mean Really, not just the textbook answer.  Is it knowing that there are a million different ways to accomplish our goals/outcomes/destiny and sometimes it just a matter of waiting and enjoying the journey as much as it is taking on The World with a sledge hammer and trying to sculpt the world into your design.  And so the decision is made. My 6 month holiday is over. It’s back to the City!
navdeep
We all make sacrifices along the road to our destiny, and sometimes you make a sacrifice just to serve others. There is a body of knowledge that says that the Lessons of Mastery must be learnt before embarking on the journey of self-realization. It’s the Journey of the Ego, Self and Soul. It’s the journey of the archetypes again. The Lessons of Mastery teach the art of balancing the lower three chakras. The Base Chakra, the Sex Chakra (or the Seat of Emotion as it is sometimes called) and the 3rd chakra at the solar plexus, representing personal power, commitment and willpower.

Traditionally we talk about the root chakra to represent security – groundedness and being ‘Down to Earth’. Sometimes we forget that this chakra also represent money, which is a modern day abstraction of security. If someone loses their job or their bank account is cleaned out, it’s likely that the energy of the root chakra will be whacked out of balance, and stop Flow. It will bring up old-brain instinctual reactions of fear for ones safety and security – like losing one’s home. Remember this is often when people turn to spirituality. However I believe it may not be the path to self-realization, because that is the art of balancing the lower triangle, the 3 earth chakras with the upper triangle, the upper three heavenly charkas at the heart center. And remember there is no judgement, only decisions.

In this similar way it was taught in ancient times, that to embark on a true journey to self-realization the spiritual apprentice would first have to earn sufficient privileges or material (earth based) wealth to be able to maintain themselves and their family for the rest of their lives..

And, so with this in mind, I’m off to the city again. It may take me a year, maybe two years, maybe even 4 years to reach my goal now, but in that time, I will integrate the lessons I have learnt at such a deep level. It will make me a better teacher, a better Yogi, it will allow me to become a better healer, and it will allow me to be at the heart of this most intense, emotional roller coaster ride, once more. In many ways, a training to be reckoned with.. to have a neutral mind in this environment is to be a Master of Self.

And straight after I made the decision, flow came back to my life … already, I have manifest an interview on monday, came out of the blue, and the role is made for me..let’s see what happens.

I expect that this time it’s different. I expect I will maintain my daily practice starting at 4:30am. I will maintain the yogic diet, and I will continue to do workshops and seminars at weekends. I will continue to Flow. I will continue to blog, to tweet and podcast, and to be active on facebook so that your words of wisdom and feedback will allow me to learn from two very different worlds, a contrast to be reckoned with. It’s almost exciting… Looks like @cityguyyoga takes on a newer deeper meaning.

The question that remains seems trivial but to me it is not – to cut my Kesh and trim the beard, or to walk into an interview “Au Naturale”… I’m guessing I’ve leave it, but I’ll see the reaction.