19 Jun Adaptability

Adaptability is a massive word for each of us right now. It is front and center in the room and it is not going away.

We have had to adapt in major ways…and then just when we get into a rhythm, something shifts and we have to flex again. The collective overwhelm at this persistent state of flux is palpable.

How does this relate to meditation?

The anxiety we feel when things change is in direct proportion to how tightly we have clung to ideas, labels and situations. That last sentence is worth re-reading. This clinging becomes our way of being in the world…it is insidious. We get very attached to thoughts of how things should look and play out in our lives. And when they don’t, we suffer.

There is another way. A central concept in meditation is ‘non-attachment.’ Sounds kind of cold, right? How can being detached be a good thing?

Stay with me here.

Thoughts, ideas and labels are not reality. They are social constructs and stories we have created in our head and assigned various levels of importance. 

A consistent meditation practice allows you to take a step back and see the narratives you have written, repeated and now take as fact. You begin to notice how often the mind runs small and the extent it backs you into a corner.

That awareness is a game changer. We get a taste of relief and a glimpse at the gorgeous nature of non-attachment. We dip a toe into the newly created margin and then slide in up to the ankle. We adapt – with wisdom, grace and a lot less stress.

~Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau