“No rain, no flowers.” I came across this quote recently and fell in love with it. So much so, that I was inspired to write on it this newsletter.
This short and simple quote has so much truth in it. In the literal sense, without rain we would not have flowers. Rain helps flowers to grow, which in turn helps nature to flourish (bees are able to pollinate and so on and so forth). Rain also cultivates so much of the beauty we enjoy in gardens, bouquets, fields…the list just goes on and on.
Reading this quote, made me immediately think of the theme of Baron Baptiste’s road tour, when he was traveling last year to promote his new book, “Perfectly Imperfect.” The theme for his tour was, “No thorns, no roses,” metaphorically meaning that we don’t get to the beautiful outcomes like that of a rose, without some times that prick us like a thorn.
No rain, no flowers metaphorically landed on me the same way…no storms or hard times in life, no beautiful outcomes. If we have nothing bad to compare things to, how are we to appreciate and be grateful for the beautiful and awe-inspiring moments in our life? We need “rain” in our lives, in order to truly appreciate the “flowers” in our lives. Each and every one of us has wished for better days, better jobs, better outcomes, better relationships, etc. But, it is through the challenges that we can really appreciate coming out on the other side in these examples and more.
On the mat, this looks for instance like falling out of a posture time and time again…wondering if you’ll ever get there…if you’ll ever obtain the balance, strength, and endurance. Probably even doubting yourself and wondering if you’re “enough.” And then one day, all your hard work, all your perseverance, all your determination, all your “I feel like I’m never going to get there” emotions…come to a head when you find yourself having obtained the pose. It’s a proud moment and you feel good, as you think back on the journey it took to obtain the pose.
If you’re going through a time in your life on or off the mat right now, where it seems like all that’s there is rain, and you’re wondering if the rain will ever stop…be encouraged. Remember it’s April showers that bring May flowers. Remember that all seasons have their time and therefore each one passes. Remember that rain brings flowers.
About the Pose
Marina Mukandala, is featured in this newsletter issue in Dhanurasana (Bow Pose).
The benefits of Bow Pose are as follows:
- Strengthens the back muscles
- Improves posture
- Stretches the entire front side of the body, ankles, thighs, groins, abdomen, chest, throat, and hip flexors
