Make Deep Roots

"When the root is deep there is no reason to fear the wind."

My yoga studio is so awesome.  Every day they post a quote with the schedule on Facebook, and every time it reminds me there are no excuses for not going to class as often as I want to.  I call it passive-aggressive guilt, very effective.  This is the quote for today, "when the root is deep there is no reason to fear the wind."  Deep I know, it sounds like something Yoda would say.  It spoke to me and I wanted to engage in a little one-sided conversation about it. 

This past year has been interesting to say the least.  Let's just say a lot of life has been happening. Since this time last year I have been through a second heartbreak, depression, applying to grad school, struggling with addictions (don't get all judgie-- we all have them.  It can be alcohol, food, exercise, tv, smoking.  Whatever it is you use as a crutch or safety net), losing friends, making new friends, discovering yoga, going back to church, becoming closer to my family and starting a new relationship.  Life is happening all the time to all of us.  When life swirls around you it is so easy to get caught up in the chaos of it all, become confused and lose focus.  If we are not deeply and strongly "rooted", then it is so easy to bend from outside forces and possibly break.

I have noticed recently that staying close to and in touch with those parts of my life and people that keep me grounded is the only way to deeply root myself into the life I want and the person I want to be.  I still find myself bending occasionally by losing focus or making mistakes, but because I am still grounded I bounce right back to where I need to be and more quickly.  I think you have to bend and lose your balance sometimes to grow stronger and grow deeper roots.  Not too long ago I was not rooted down at all.  I had no idea what direction I wanted to grow in, what kind of tree I was and my roots had absolutely nothing to hold onto. I felt like I was hanging on like a palm tree in a hurricane.  It was not a good feeling.  

Since then I have started to shift my focus from empty meaningless things to things with value, that my "roots" can grow into.  I am not quite to the point of growing new branches yet but I am well on the way.  

I particularly like this analogy because it doesn't come naturally for me to think of a root system when I think of strength.  Now that I look more closely I realize it makes the most sense.  

Root down to rise up!