Never Waste a Good Suffering

In Buddhism, they often talk about the process of “labeling” — how our minds are so quick to label, judge, and react before our nervous systems can ground into what’s happening.

In mindfulness practices, we aim to catch our minds before the labeling takes place. We take back the power of discernment and we can choose to react in a way that is closer to our most aligned self. It’s a process and an imperfect journey. I’m still learning to integrate this wisdom into my daily life.

No matter what happens to us, life goes on, until one day it doesn’t. How do you want your story to be written? Will the negative stay negative? Or do we have the power to (sometimes) turn negative to positive?

As we begin walking the path of Yoga and mindfulness, the practice happens solely on our mats or meditation cushions. As we continue, we realize the practice happens in every step, every interaction, even in every fluctuation of the mind. And it’s up to us to embrace each fluctuation and circumstance as an opportunity to practice and embody what we’ve theoretically and philosophically learned thus far.