“We are only stable because we constantly change.”—Charles Richet
Change is a core condition of life that in and of itself has no value attached. Change becomes good, bad or indifferent, only when we attach our own particular perspective to it.
As addicts, we tended to want to lock down change as our personal property. We would try to muscle change to obey our will—bend it to our own desires. We would attempt to control and manage change into our own image. Got a difficult partner? Change them or lose them! Not high enough, satisfied enough? Grab more and more and more… Work getting you down? Quit! Not enough money? Steal some! The list goes on and on…
Often, we would bang our heads against an unchangeable force until we’d be left with cracked and bleeding skulls… Or we’d slink away, tails in the mud, from the changes we could—and needed—to make.
In recovery, we famously learned to accept change when it was clear there was no other sensible option. We learned to be courageous and make change happen—when the change was there for us to make. The art and wisdom though, is to discern what can indeed be changed and what cannot. In recovery, we cultivate this discernment one careful, considered step at a time. We step up to make a change. We step down from a misguided attempt to force ourselves on change. Step up, step down. Step up, step down.
Here’s a secret: if you meditate on something while you are in a physical activity, it helps empower that meditation—when the movement is practiced with good attention. So, when you do the very simple drill below, meditate on the nature of change—and your relationship to change—while you perform the movements.
Find a stable surface that’s anywhere from one foot to around knee height. Select a height that is somewhat challenging, but which you can manage with good form. It could be a bench or a staircase, for instance. Stand close, then step up with your left leg onto the bench. Step up now with the right leg, so you are standing upright on the bench. Step back down with the right leg, keeping the left leg on the bench. Repeat the stepping up and down with the right leg for from ten to twenty repetitions. Switch to the other side.
Voila, you just made some positive changes to your strength and mobility!
It feels great to take an action today that has a positive effect on my body.