There is this tree in my yard that keeps sprouting despite the relentless onslaught of the worst drought in thirty years. Oh and by the way, the main portion of this tree met the business end of a chainsaw a year and a half ago and the remaining stump and the annoying sprouts from last year have systematically and carefully poisoned this Spring. And yet there those sprouts of life are! Like mushrooms after much rain (I am dreaming here)they are all over the yard. A nuisance yes, and yet a clear example of the tenacity of plant life to fulfill its biological imperative.
Which brings me to this small dog I find myself living with. Her genetic, biological imperative is to be close to me, crawling in my lap attempting to lick my face. Her essence and breeding compel her. It does not matter what my will is or even if or how much she is trained (not much)not to jump into my lap. Here she is! So yielding to What is is the peaceful, life affirming choice.
Yielding to what is is not to be confused with passive, resigned acceptance of a life situation or neglect of a wellness process that needs attention. Far from it and perhaps more the opposite. Yielding to what is is more about paying attention to the transitions from one activity to the next and being open and aware to where your internal compass is pointing and what the next moment will require of you.
The tenacity of our "beingness" and the essential roots of beingness are constantly with us on our wellness journeys. Take for example the mundane, yet ever present choice of food that is so vital to wellness. Forget for a minute the reflective, critical thinking and trial and error around the solidification of "your food worldview." So lets assume you are clear about what is best for you as you prepare to dig into your meal. One still needs to make the choice and actually gather the food into your mouth. How to yield to this next moment in an integral, conscious, and yet perhaps even playful way? Notice the tenacity for wholeness and life pulsing through your body and soul. Feather out the edges of your solo intention into the dissolved edge of willingness and yield to the experience of biting into the food!
Likely you will more deeply enjoy the experience more, a great benefit in itself, and this will contribute to you body appropriately utilizing the nutrients and allow more powerfully the various hormonal systems and chemical catalyst to work their mysterious magic. All of this from yielding and being hospitable to the delicious yielding reality of the next fresh moment. Bon Appetit!
