Moments of hardship

The other day I was watching this short video, in which Pema Chodron, sheds light on our tendency to resolve things from the outside, rather than from within us.

It made me think how I sometimes try and control the whole world around me, and adjust things outside me and not from within. This brings me to think about injuries in my practice, and the choices made on how to handle them. An injury brings us to hardship; frustration, inconvenience, and pain.

An injury is like a rest in music. The musical piece cannot not be exist without rests. One element completes the other, and make it whole. Our training will not be complete unless we encounter moments of hardship. Injuries present us with an opportunity to make a choice on the type of rest we will take. In cases of injuries or illness, many of us choose to be off the mat. Often, I see students who choose to take a few weeks off the mat, as well as away from the Dojo.

We have to remember that there are many ways of dealing with hardship, and as Pema Chodron said, we usually choose to deal with outside adjustments rather than the internal adjustment. To face our hardship, and find ways to train our mind to work though a hardship, will bring about greater presence and many benefits.

I know a person that was injured seriously, and broke his arm, that chose to be on the mat, working on one side only, on his uninjured side. I know another person, who underwent a major surgery, that was not able be on the mat, yet physically attends the Dojo regularly and watches classes, learning through Mitori Geiko (observation practice). This inspires me.

Our hardships have a gift to give us; will we choose to cover the whole world with leather, or simply put our shoes on?