Impermanence

“I am the impermanence I see.” - Deborah Hay 

Back in July, about to move from my home of fifteen years, I lay on the deck gazing at the beautiful, big tree overlooking me. It’s always felt like an embrace, a friend. Impermanence floats to my mind with a mix of grief, bitter and sweet.

“It’s okay to let go.”, the tree lets me know. 

What a lesson we learn over and over again on this journey of life. “It’s okay to let go”, to change, to grow, to live, to lose. Really, whether one agrees that it’s okay or not, it is inevitable. From the level of cellular regeneration all the way to major life changes, we experience impermanence constantly. A new child, a friend passing away in their 50’s, a president’s political career ending, lines slowly appearing on an aging face, new opportunities to expand past our comfort zones, a marriage, hurricane’s destruction, new friends, new home, gaining a fresh perspective that changes how we experience the world, changes in physical ability, and on and on.

In grief and in joy, life is always changing. We all know this more or less, but do we allow ourselves to know it fully, deeply in our cells? Or do we brush past it as a superficial fact of life? And, is there anything permanent in all this impermanence? 

Feeling into the rich lessons of impermanence, I find that there is something deep inside that has been recognizable through all of the change.  A home base.  Some would say it’s a higher power or the true self. To me, it feels like a combination of both; it feels like soul. However one conceives of it, it’s comforting in the face of ongoing inner and outer change. Is it real or just a concept? Constant or also changing? I’m not sure it matters as long as it helps ease the existential challenge of perpetual change.

In Tensegrity Medicine, we learn that all of the “somatostates” (spiritual, cognitive, emotional, physical) are intertwined, in direct relationship with each other (and with everyone else’s). By investing time in deepening our connection to these interrelated somatostates, our sense of home base strengthens. We lean more fully into who we are in each moment. This creates an anchor when the waves of change arise; we may get thrown around a bit but can always find some semblance of a home within to return to. Developing these areas in relationship to one another rather than separately helps create a more robust home. It can better withstand a challenge in any particular somatostate than if we overbuild one area at the expense of the others.

What does it look like to develop a stronger home base to help when the winds of change blow in? A simple way is just to practice checking in with different aspects of yourself as you do an activity. Get a conversation going through words, images, sensations, whatever language is available to that part of you. For example, while stretching your hamstrings: what is the physical sensation? Are any feelings coming up? What thoughts? Does this feel connected to spirit in any way? Again, these don’t have to be cognitive questions like those listed, they can be much more abstract…ie while I do this stretch, I feel a slight pain in the back of my legs, it feels like a sparkle surrounded by navy blue, I feel powerful as I lean in, there’s a thought that thinks this is pretty boring, etc etc. It also doesn’t need to involve words at all, but, as I’m sharing about it in a written format, well… ;) 

And, as our home deepens, it's easier to let go: of old circumstances, thought patterns, painful tension in our bodies. This can literally reduce our suffering on all levels.

”It’s okay to let go.”, says the wise old tree. 

If this is something you’d like to explore further with a guide, please reach out to Ease Therapy and Movement. We offer sessions to help build up and integrate these somatostates utilizing embodied inquiry, bodywork, and movement. As a somatic occupational therapist, whatever modalities we are using, my goal is always to help you feel more at home within yourself so you can engage in the activities that matter to you out in the world. 

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts on impermanence, too!
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Thank you for reading. www.JamienRose.com