The Unexpected Event

Every unexpected event, whether positive or negative, in our life triggers strong emotions. When a friend unexpectedly calls or texts us, or when we get a call from a family member who is in the hospital, or when the car won’t start on a cold morning, or a downpour of rain rushes into our basement, emotions automatically flood our entire body.

Yoga says, that all emotions come from our basic human needs—food, sleep, sex, or self-preservation. One of those needs is being met or is being threatened. It happens to us all the time we expect something to go a certain way or nothing to happen and then something happens. If it is an unexpected event to which we feel attracted, like an unforeseen check from a forgotten relative, we experience joy-filled, positive emotions that fill us with pleasure. However, if the unexpected event is an aversion or something that we wish to avoid, then fear and negative emotions make us feel lousy or depressed.

It happens all the time, because all of us live with hundreds, if not thousands, of expectations. Of course, life does not unfold according to our desires or even according to our beliefs. We are part of life unfolding and teaching us all the time.

I experienced a number of unexpected events during the past weekend that taught me many things. On Saturday morning when I arrived at The Center the ceiling was leaking. I wasn’t ready for that because I was going to begin my first class in a new Meditation Teacher Training program at The Center. With our yoga teacher Ken, we quickly set out buckets to catch the drops of water coming into The Center. I felt very frustrated because the hole(s) in the roof were supposed to be fixed last year. I found myself coming back to the breath in my nostrils and my frustration subsided.

Then, that first Meditation Teacher Training class. I spent much time preparing for the class because it was a first for The Center. We were launching the Meditation Teacher certificate program for people who wanted to learn how to teach meditation. I hoped that it would go well and, yet, felt elated when the class went beyond my expectations. “Alleluia! Thank you, Divine Mother!” entered my mind.

However, that joy did not last long as I arrived at home to a phone call from my brother who just returned home from the hospital. He experienced congestive heart failure from a malfunctioning heart valve. Phil is my last living brother and this really threw me. I felt all kinds of fear and worry. Only after talking with him on the phone and remembering the compassion of the Divine Mother in all things, even traumas, did I begin to feel at ease again. The worst for Phil had passed and it taught both of us to see each other more often.

Then, I came to The Center on Monday morning and found ceiling tiles all over the yoga room floor. The weekend rains had filled all the buckets I had placed there on Saturday to overflowing and the water-logged ceiling tiles covered the floor. I had forgotten all about the heavy rains that came through the area on Saturday night. What a mess! I felt shocked and frustrated. Another totally unexpected event had entered my life, teaching me that I was a long way from being able to bounce with the constant changing of life.

My yoga training did help me, though. I quickly brought my awareness to the breath in my nostrils again, thanked the Divine Mother for that life-giving breath, and went about helping Greg clean up the mess.

All in all, I learned that my ability to bring myself back to my life force, my life source, the Divine Mother flowing through me, saved me from lots of internal turmoil this past weekend. With tears in my eyes, I thank yoga and the Divine Mother! Amen! Alleluia!

Namaste’