Not all it’s cracked up to be. 

Duhkha

I love the magical feeling of a snow globe.  So sparkly and bright, yet gentle and calm.  A miniature moment caught like a firefly.

But during the holidays, it can also bewitch me into yearning for a snow globe life.  I am tempted to create sparkly bright moments for my people, but then feel let down when they don’t go as planned.  I am a bit dispirited when I can’t find within myself the gentle calm that I imagined the season bringing to me. 

Yoga has a name for this snow globe glass: duhkha. Duhkha stops the flow of life energy. It blocks us from really connecting with our real people and with our real self. Like glass, it is a separator. So yoga encourages us to break the glass! 

It’s healthy to want holiday moments where we can connect with our people.  But if we treat these moments as delicate and snow-globe-worthy, they actually lose their value.  Disappointment because of a chipped moment, translates into disappointment in our people and feeling disconnected.  The very opposite of what we desire.  Instead, break the glass before the moment even begins! Roll up your sleeves, step into the moment, and don’t forget to shake your head and roll your eyes at your imperfect people.  That’s also breaking the glass! 

For me, the fight against “snowglobing” is a constant inner challenge this time of year.  So, the image of breaking the glass is very helpful and so empowering!  Definitely keeping a little hammer in my back pocket this week!

Until next time,

Laura