Deviating from our Traditions

Adapting to new Times

7/18/20221 min read

Many of us grew up with traditions that can incite guilt for our new modern ways of living. Letting go of the guilt associated with deviating from traditions is something most of us have to go through since times have rapidly changed.

Luckily for me, the traditions I grew up with in the states were schedules for school, meals, cleaning, playing sports, and holidays based on religions our family did not follow. I have the luxury of no shadows of expectations from culture that I deviate from, except not having kids which is not too scandalous. The tradition I learned from yoga and spirituality was that love is the only way. Now I realize that hate is as real as love, anger is as justified as joy. They cannot exist without the other. In one of my favorite cheesy movies Walk to Remember when her atheist dude questions her faith, she tells him without suffering there is no compassion. I am still processing this unbroken line of polarities. I did not have to unlearn religion, so the mystic symbols found me without taboo. My favorite is the swirl and the labyrinth, the journey, continuously unfolding. The only part of college Classes I remember distinctly was the symbols that different cultures found across the world, like this veil of knowledge draped over the world for whoever wanted to wear it. I also remember learning about the meaning of the goddess Kali in world religions, and her destruction. And it wasn't "bad" destruction, it is a will to move forward.

If tradition interferes with progress it must go. We have to make way for the new. Who is ready? So much information is accessible so let us have the courage to break away from family conditioning and seek refuge in self exploration and healing modalities we are drawn to.