Letting Go

I came across a very cool yoga instructor a few months ago who has been very inspirational to me. She is Swedish, but lives and teaches in Aruba. She travels all over the world teaching and participating in festivals and other events. Her name is Rachel Brathen. I have been looking into her week long retreats in Aruba, and they look amazing. It is definitely high on my bucket list! Although on the pricey side, I think it is something I would have no problem spending the money on. I am going to try a weekend retreat this summer to get me by until I can afford a big retreat like hers.


SUP Yoga- photo from: www.rachelbrathen.com

She is one of the first people in the world to take yoga off the mat and onto a stand up paddle board (SUP yoga), and she is a master of inversions.
She is always posting very inspirational words, but today she shared some words that really hit home for me:

"Surround yourself with people that give you energy. You'll know when you have a valuable person in your life; the relationship will be effortless. A real connection requires no struggle. Let go of people that are holding you back. Don't judge, don't fight. Just let them go. Life is far too important to focus on anything but love".

This is something I REALLY struggle with in life. Letting go of people and/or situations is very hard for me, especially if I feel that they are upset with me, that they feel I am not a good person, or if there is something I feel I don't have closure on. I have slowly, over the past year, started to surround myself with people that give me positive energy. For example, Mike and I began spending time with some friends last year (new friends to me but Mike has known them for a number of years) because we had the same breed of dog. Every time we were around them I felt an instant calm and happiness. We became closer over the year and were there for each other through some pretty big milestones in life. Every time I have a conversation with my friend, she is so positive, and always reassuring me that what I was thinking or feeling was ok. They are just the sort of people that make you light up inside when you are around them.
I have also started  letting go of those that are bringing me negative energy, or that I am causing myself negative energy because of a situation with them in the past. Big emphasis on started because it has still been very difficult for me. Not so much to let go of the fact that the person is no longer a big part of my life, but letting go of the situation that caused me to realize I need to let them go. I had a couple of long time friends in my life that always seemed to walk all over me. Others around me would wonder why I stayed friends with them, because they would basically get away with the worst behaviour. I eventually started to wonder the same thing. So for one friend, I wrote a lengthy letter explaining why I felt that I could no longer have her in my life. I never did get a reply, but I felt better knowing that I expressed how I had felt over the past 10 years. To this day it has never been brought up, but we still wish each other well from time to time. I thought for sure letting go of that person would cause so much turmoil in my life, and it did exactly the opposite. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I was able to make room for someone positive in my life. The other friend I just sort of lost touch with, and it hasn't affected me at all. At some points during my wedding events I would be saddened that she wasn't there, but  then I would think about all the people that had really taken the time to be there, and I completely forgot about my sadness. At times I begin to let regret and the "what ifs" creep into my mind, but I cannot change the past, and I have to believe that things unfolded that way for a reason.
There are also a few other friendships I have been working on. Reconnecting with a best friend from my late teens has been one of the most rewarding friendships for me these days. Although we never lost touch, we had lost the closeness. Now that has returned and she is an important part of my life.

Date night, celebrating our friends' marriage

Working on my relationship with my husband has been very gratifying for me. I have never felt so close or so in love with him as I do now, and I feel that is very important for us going ahead with the next chapter in our lives together. 

Mike being silly on a day date ice skating

I look forward to continue being inspired by this very positive person, and cannot wait to be able to participate in one of her yoga retreats one day!

www.rachelbrathen.com