I’m laughing. At how the universe continues to make me live the teaching before I even know what it is. Because it knows I have to embody it before I can share it.
Aparigraha – non-grasping.
The fifth and final of the Yamas – the moral disciplines.
This is about non-attachment to the fruits of the outcome. The practice of loosening our grip on how things should unfold, so clarity can help us see what is unfolding.
With plans and expectations. With wanting certainty or specific timelines. Even the stories our minds imagine about what must happen for us to feel okay!
And guess what?
Since arriving in Italy with my son a few weeks ago, there has been so much uncertainty.
A home we loved didn’t work out. Another became more complicated than expected. Summer arriving with fewer options and more unknowns. I felt disappointment and worry.
For the first week, anxiety rose in the form of nausea, day and night.
I wasn’t questioning my choices, even though the anxiety tried to use that as an excuse! I just had to accept the feeling and let it move through. Easier said than done. Yet necessary.
Every time something didn’t go according to plan, I noticed a contraction. In my bum, my heart and my mind.
Wanting answers. Wanting clarity. Wanting the house to just show up so I could exhale!
In my bedtime meditation, I prayed for guidance.
And my wise eternal being gently whispered:
If life is serving me right now, what is the gift I am receiving?
I exhaled and fell asleep.
The next day I started seeing the gifts.
The beachhouse we’re in 30 seconds from the sand, found by my first friend Letizia. Peaceful, quiet, limited wifi. Exactly what we needed. The apartment that fell through showed us we didn’t want to live in town after all. The spontaneous aperitivos introduced us to English-speaking foreigners. One meeting leading to the next. And word has spread. More home choices are opening up for the summer, yay!
Like the yellow brick road, our golden path is unfolding. With its challenges and obstacles. And with the gift of personal growth, self-discovery, new friendships and unexpected gifts along the way.
The house, I realised, is just a symbol.
Which represents my peace of mind, stability and my natural concerns as a mother.
So life surprised me further.
A small mothers’ circle unexpectedly opened nearby. Six English-speaking mothers gathered for support and natural health wisdom. Their gratitude reminded me that life was already showing me the way, even while I still felt in-between. Aparigraha in action 🙂
Anxiety often comes from gripping life too tightly… Trust arrives when we loosen our hand.
Aparigraha is showing me I can trust that what is meant for us will arrive. Not always in the way I imagined, but in a way that answers my deeper prayer.
In daily life, Aparigraha can feel like:
Having faith without demanding certainty.
Allowing disappointment to reveal something more aligned.
Taking action whilst releasing the need to control the outcome.
Asking: What is the truth I am really longing for here?
So as you move through your days, I leave you with this:
Where in your life are you gripping tightly right now?
And beneath that..
What are you truly longing for?
With love in all ways,
Dipika
