“Let the wave of memory, the storm of desire, the fire of emotion pass through without affecting your equanimity.”
Sathya Tai Baba
It is spring season here in the Southern hemisphere and also the season of the star sign Libra which is all about balance. I am a Libra and balance is a quality and trait I need and aspire to in my life. When deciding on a name for my business I wanted to use the word equanimity, hard to say and spell, but encapsulates the aim of sharing my yoga and meditation practice with the world.
So what is equanimity? The dictionary defines equanimity as mental calmness, composure, and evenness of mind, especially under stress. The word comes from the combination of two Latin terms: aequus meaning “even, level” and animus meaning “mind” or “spirit”. Equanimity invites us to embrace balance and inner calm, transforming our mood. Equanimity arises when we renounce control, or more accurately we let go of the illusion of control. Letting go brings equanimity, the greater the letting go, the deeper the equanimity. By letting go of the need to constantly control or change what’s happening, equanimity brings us closer to a state of inner peace. Equanimity is like standing as a tree in the wind, bending with life’s forces rather than resisting. Just as a tree finds balance in its flexibility, so do we find equanimity by flowing with life’s storms.
Dru Yoga brings a great sense of equanimity as we come to an inner stillness like a calm lake or a grounded feeling centered as we ebb and flow through life’s experiences. This equanimity nurtures a deep sense of wholeness and well-being that it untouched by external circumstances. Equanimity helps us to accept things as they are, without judgement or attachment. I find that this acceptance helps me feel more contented, to a point where I no longer feel that happiness depends on external circumstances.
Equanimity in the Buddhist tradition comes from the word upekkha which colloquially was sometimes used to mean “to see with patience” or can mean “to look over” or “see with understanding”. Equanimity is said to protect us from the “eight worldly winds”: praise and blame, success and failure, pleasure and pain, fame and disrepute. Yoga, mindfulness and meditation can strengthen our equanimity, coming to a state of inner strength that keeps us balanced in the middle of all that is.
In modern times psychologists are also interested to explore equanimity as it can help us to remain composed and centered when face with life challenges. Equanimity is a state of psychological balance and stability, an evenness of mind that allows us to navigate the many curve balls life may throw at us with grace. Luckily, equanimity is not just a psychological trait with which we are born, but also a state of mind that we can actively cultivate. We can seek to enhance our inner sense of peace, our reactivity to external stimuli, and our non-attachment to specific outcomes. And it is well worth our effort, for when we are in a state of equanimity, we can respond to life’s ups and downs with more clarity and wisdom.
How do we cultivate equanimity? Engaging in a regular mindfulness practices can help to develop present moment awareness, acceptance and non-reactivity. Breath practices, progressive muscle relaxation and gratitude journalling can help regulate intense emotions and prevent impulsive reactions. Developing equanimity, like any other skill, takes practice. Being patient with yourself not only makes the journey more pleasant, it also helps develop equanimity.
So next time you come to stand in mountain pose or tadasana, visualise an image of the mountain, and see it as a metaphor for equanimity. All manner of weather conditions are cast upon on the mountain, rain, wind, snow, sun, yet it remains unchanged, still and stable. The mountain absorbs all that comes to it, in the same way equanimity allows us to accept all that happens in our lives and learn to understand our loves more deeply. Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield calls equanimity a “radical acceptance of life” and believes it comes from learning to be comfortable with not knowing.
If you are interested in exploring and cultivating equanimity join my Insight Timer group to share in practices and connect with a sense of community of like minded people.
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