Yoga Talk
Late Fall 2011
On Being Flexible
A few weeks ago I watched a movie called Buck. It is a story about Buck Brannaman, the man who Robert Redford based his film “The Horse Whisperer” on.
It is a very heartwarming film about someone who has overcome a lot of adversity in his life and come out a good, kind and loving person. He spends a lot of time on the road teaching people his techniques for working with horses. It is a delight to see how he can take a troubled horse and get it to do what he wants, without the cruelty that many trainers use to dominate a horse. It is something to see.
His adopted mom talks a little about him at one point in the movie and gives him credit for the following quote.
“Blessed are the flexible
As they will never be bent out of shape.”
I laughed because it is so true. When we are flexible, life is easier. When we struggle and fight things, it is much harder. When we take a stand and are not willing to listen to another opinion, we are inflexible. When we only send and are not willing to receive, we are not being flexible.
When I started doing yoga some 40 + years ago I thought it was only about making the body healthier and more flexible. Now I understand that being flexible in how we live our lives is important too.
This means that we must be in the moment, or present at all times so we will be able to do what is appropriate at any given moment, bending over backwards at times to make something work…extending ourselves to others when appropriate… opening to new ideas… being honest with ourselves even when it is painful.
and for reminding me of something so important.
