I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time. In fact, I would have to say that the first encounter I had with the idea of acceptance was from a Steven Seagal movie!!! In this scene, a good-looking Chinese woman prepares a bath for the martial art warrior. Little does he know, the bathtub is filled with cold water. The reaction is instantaneous: his hands are clenched to the sides, his whole body and muscles are contracting under the physical stress, and all is thoughts are focused on getting out. Unexpectedly the woman tells him to accept the situation, to stop resisting and fighting what is… And there you have it, the spiritual portion of an extremely cheesy action film!
Acceptance as it relates to the practice of Yoga is in many ways similar to how we choose to experience our daily lives. If with every posture and movement we choose to resist and try to force our way through the practice, it will be arduous, it will feel like an unattainable goal and we will soon be discouraged. Acceptance enables us to acknowledge where we are, to stop resisting and to be satisfied with what we have accomplished. Therefore, instead of overstraining ourselves in extending or bending further, by accepting and experimenting the posture for what it is, we are eventually able to relax and find comfort in discomfort. This is what allows you to move forward.
It is important to understand that acceptance does not mean to give up. On the contrary, acceptance is quite a dynamic process. Only by knowing and accepting where we are NOW can we ever move beyond that point, otherwise, where are we starting from?
If in life we often experience dissatisfaction and regrets, perhaps it is because we haven’t realized what it is we have. We tend to look forward for the next hurdle to jump over instead of appreciating and acknowledging our accomplishments. By not taking the time to accept our situation, we are blinded by what could be when in reality we have brought ourselves to where we are now. And so, start living your life by accepting it the way it is, by understanding that, whether you like it or not, it is the way that it is. Do not label your life and your accomplishments as good or bad, simply let them be factual elements consisting in your starting point. Release. Accept. Live. Love.
Here are a few links I found interesting:
http://www.selfcreation.com/acceptance/index.htm and http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/06/self-discipline-acceptance/