There is a beautiful concept in the yoga sutras Parinamavada, the understanding  that constant change is an inherent part of the cause and effect nature of life

A warrior’s goal is not to separate the conscious from the body. The conscious uses the body to act properly within reality. The goal of a warrior is to separate the ego from the conscious and allow the body to move with the conscious.

Over thinking and over analyzing separates the mind from the body.

To step into parinamavada we use the concept of moving from the center (tanden) expressing circular movements.

Tanden connects us with heaven and earth. Allowing us to be rooted yet ready to transform and adapt. While performing a pose, sometimes we evokes a state of aiming to the result.

This is a stall point on which the mind stops. Our mind stops when it is captured by an object, action, thought and/or emotion.

If the mind fixes itself on a point it does not allow gestures to flow freely.

When moving from the tanden in a circular way, centered action follows the life in every moment of time, flowing without any fragmentation. In rediscovering the beauty of being centered we are able to live in the present moment.

Here and now, not later, not with the mind, but with the totality of our being.

During the practice for a moment we let go of ourselves and experience a new feeling, a new sensation never experienced before. In this precise moment we get scared and retract back toward our usual sensations. Fear does not arise from the unknown, but instead it is what we already know and we are able to realize this by letting go our believes.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. (Lao Tzu)

When we let the mind flow like water, we face life with a calm and quiet mind and everything in life will be calm and smooth.

Often we  “push the river” when we try to fight reality, and resist change. Change is going to happen, whether you like it or not.  Struggling against the changes life brings is not going to achieve anything but frustration and stress.

If we go with the flow we become fluid and flexible. Taking on a free-flowing attitude allows us to be like water. Water is the most powerful substance, able to remove the biggest of obstacles and to pass through seemingly impossible spaces.

Being rigid in our beliefs and inflexible in our attitudes means we are unable to flow with life. If we do not bend, we are more likely to break.

In martial arts there is an image that’s used to define the position of perfect readiness: “mind like water.” Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the water respond? The answer is: Totally appropriately to the force and mass of the input; then it returns to calm. It doesn’t overreact or underreact.

When you are rigid, it is easy to crack under great pressure and strain. Rarely can you overcome  your problems through sheer willpower alone. So whenever you face a problem, oe whenever you step into your mat, remember to be like water.. Be formless yielding and adaptable. You may not master the nature of being like water in the short run, but if you keep practicing, it will become a natural one day.

A famous quote by Bruce Lee: Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

“To go with the flow means to stop trying to swim against the tide of life circumstances and change. It is possible to swim upstream of course, but it is exhausting!”

So don’t push the river but let yourself flow wit it!