Friday, May 30, 2008

Contentment, Laziness or Age?

My daily yoga and meditation practice has taken me to new levels of contentment and tranquility. Or is it something else?

This feeling of contentment has overlapped into many areas of my life. Here are a few good examples that come to mind.

I am no longer easily provoked. Or should I say, when I am provoked, I am not as likely to react in a negative way. I look inside and see my anger or my judgment and more often than not I choose to be silent. I don’t have to be right, I don’t have to have my say. I find myself smiling inside and feeling a stillness and peace and saying “Everything is perfect in my world, just the way it is“.

I used to be unnerved if someone didn’t take off their shoes and left messy tracks in the house. And I would never miss scrubbing the house from top to bottom each week. Now if I miss my cleaning day and see a layer of dust on the furniture, I let it go. I find myself smiling inside and feeling a stillness and peace and saying “Everything is perfect in my world, just the way it is“.

I have always been an avid gardener and prided myself on my gardens being well groomed, pruned, weed free and perfectly organized. Now I “allow” them to be a bit more carefree. If there are weeds, so be it. If I don’t deadhead all the faded bloom, oh well! And if the deer have eaten 20 years worth of work on a boarder garden(this I recently discovered). Not long ago I would have been devastated to the point of tears. But I found myself smiling inside and feeling a stillness and peace and saying “Everything is perfect in my world, just the way it is“.

So what I want to know is this…Am I more content and tranquil or have I developed laziness? Or could it be that I am getting older and maybe a bit wiser and realize that it is true “Everything is perfect in my world, just the way it is”?

Namaste
Gypsy Girl

9 comments:

alfia said...

That is a good question! I always feel that I am just a lazy bum. Reading your post gives me another perspective. I am just content with what is. Tranguil. In a pig sty. :D
Unfortunately, I can't say that yoga affected me this way - I was like that as long as I remember myself. :)

Gypsy Girl said...

Hi alfia, I am learning to be more laid back and content with what is. As we all know, that is sometimes hard to do(and be happy about it, that is, like when things go wrong) And I definitely attribute it to my yoga/meditation practice. Contentment is a beautiful thing!!!

Anonymous said...

Dear Gypsy Girl,

I do believe it is contentment and wisdom that sets you out to know better what is really important and what is the small stuff that should not be sweat on.

I've experience that whatever obsessions I used to have are somehow vanishing over time; even at work, I know I prioritize better and do not worry excessively for things that before had me working over time. I do not think it's laziness; it's just perspective (or it may just be a regained awareness that perhaps it is OK to be a bit lazy, after all?).

And I do hope that Yoga/Meditation should help gain this kind of wisdom faster :P

You have a lovely blog, by the way. Thank you for sharing it wit me :)

Gypsy Girl said...

Hi nairam, Thanks for the comment. Equanimity is a wonderful thing. If we can only achieve it in all the little things and then the big things will follow.
I love when my yoga/meditation practice flows over into my life and I can observe the benefits throughout the course of my daily life.

alfia said...

Hi, Gypsy Girl:

ow are you faring this beautiful weekend? Guess what, I tagged you for a meme! You do not have to do it, but if you do, check it out in my blog.
Have a great weekend!
:)

Arturo said...

Hi GG
That's a beautiful post.
Cheers,
Arturo

Gypsy Girl said...

Hi arturo thanks for stopping by.

Babs said...

Ahh, more then your yoga making you content, maybe it is some of Mexico rubbing off on you! ha.
I used to be a Type AAA personality. I've learned that ALL that energy to worry about being perfect, house perfect, garden perfect was better spent just "smelling the roses"!
Life is so tranquilo now.........WE did it to ourselves, no one else expected it!!!

Gypsy Girl said...

Hi babs you are so right. That mexican attitude is great, food, family, fun...everything else can wait until maƱana LOL