Emily Garrett Yoga

Saturday I spent the day with my husband’s grandmother.  She is 90 and lives in an assisted living facility in southern Vermont.  She moved from a house she lived in for 58 years.  A house with many rooms and 58 years of things to fill them.  Now she has one room, a bathroom and a closet.  She grieves the loss of her house as she acclimates to more simple living quarters.  She said to us “I spent my whole life working for things and then had to either give them away or leave them behind.”  

She helped me to notice how much of my mental space is occupied with the desire to accumulate more things, be it money, housewares, or space.  She reminded me of the sadness inherent in letting go.  Yet, within the sadness there is also a freedom.  Grandma has less stuff to tote around and take care of.  Likewise, in the brief moments where I am able to let go of the longing to have more, I experience complete release.  I feel lighter and more spacious.  I remind myself to let go and through that letting go, to be here and appreciate what I have.  Thankfully, there are teachers everywhere who remind me that this is possible.