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Did you know that our upcoming retreat in beautiful Dominica will explore the theme of Radical Acceptance? Psychologist and author Tara Brach popularized the concept of radical acceptance, but in reality, this concept has been around for hundreds of years. The yoga sutras of Patanjali include the concept of Santosha, which is acceptance of who you are and what you have. Santosha is a foundational principle of yoga and considered necessary for contentment. Acceptance is also considered one of the core philosophies of Buddhism and involves acknowledging the present moment for what it is while maintaining inner peace.
This all sounds great, right? But what happens when the present moment really sucks? Does acceptance mean that we should look the other way when injustices are committed or martyr ourselves if we are suffering? I’m no sage, but I don’t think that’s the idea at all. Psychologist Diana Parlington describes the idea of radical acceptance in her book DBT for Life: Skills to Transform the Way You Live in a way that resonates with me:
“Radical Acceptance doesn’t mean liking or approving of reality. It means accepting the things we cannot change, so we can focus our energy on what we can change. Fighting reality adds unnecessary suffering. Imagine you’re already in pain. Resisting that pain creates more pain—it’s like being shot by a second arrow. Instead, when we use Radical Acceptance, we let go of the fight and find peace, even in difficult situations.
Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up or condoning bad things—it’s about stopping the fight with reality so we can make the best of our situation.”
So, what in the heck does yoga asana (physical practice on the mat) have to do with acceptance? It may not be immediately apparent, but a regular yoga practice teaches us a lot about acceptance! We can take care of our bodies, but sometimes they don’t move the way we want them to move or look the way that we think they should look. Your yoga practice will not, and should not, be the same every day. Some days you will feel like a model on the cover of Yoga Journal as you balance gracefully in tree pose, and on other days you may feel like Humpty Dumpty after his great fall. But guess what? Both of those days have value and neither is better than the other. We are, after all, human. And when we learn to show up for ourselves with acceptance and compassion, we can do that for others when we are off of the mat. But if you ever feel pain in your practice, or just have a gut feeling that something isn’t right for you, it is your responsibility to accept that something needs to change. Maybe that means lying in savasana or leaving class for some fresh air or water. Paying attention to what is ‘not quite right’ in your body, and then acting to change it, also helps us address those ‘not quite right’ things we experience or observe off of the mat, too.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about radical acceptance, so feel free to drop me a line! Or, better yet, join me for 5 days of yoga, hiking, snorkeling, exploring, chilling, and radical acceptance in Dominica! Spots are still available & if you share your thoughts about radical acceptance, I will extend early bird pricing to you through March 15. Wishing you much Good JuJu, today and always. Amy Learn more today.
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