Spiraling Onward

I recently pulled out a cherished pair of spiral ear rings given to me years ago by my older sister. I was reminded that like many things to which I was first introduced by her (yoga included!), she was the first person to enlighten me about the meaning of the spiral symbol. She shared with me that the spiral signifies growth and transformation. As this was a period in my life of intense self-work, it was a deeply appreciated affirmation of all my effort.

Recently, I've been thinking about the spiral as also signifying change that is seemingly effortless, resulting from natural forces coupled with the passage of time. Consider that the spiral is found throughout nature, from snails and seashells to fern fronds and flower buds. Even our vast Milky Way galaxy is a spiral. And time itself can be represented as a spiral, moving from the inside out.

As we begin anew in 2018, I'm finding this view of the spiral as the natural course of things exceedingly helpful. There's a lot that seems topsy-turvy in the world, an awful lot that doesn't make sense and feels plain wrong, and in truth like we're going backwards. But the spiral shows us that there is no going back. Just like we can't undo the bad that has occurred, ultimately the good can also not be undone. While it might seem covered over at present, the forces that have created the good are still with us and will continue to build. Evolution always finds a way.

We can keep this vision of life as a spiral in mind in our own lives. Each moment we begin anew, we grow, we expand. This may not always be clear to us, but it's happening whether we're aware or not, for change is literally constant. Be comforted by this knowledge, and keep coming back to it both on and off the yoga mat.

Happy New Year to you and yours!