A statement my Grandmother Molly used to say, and now, it’s something I hear my Mom Lauren mention every once in a while. It’s something that has resurfaced time and time again over the years and its deeper and more profound meaning is beginning to reveal itself.

Yesterday during morning posture practice, I was having an extremely difficult time moving through the asanas. Not only were we taking them slowly with an acute attention to fluid and gradual movements, but our intention behind the practice was to include several core principals from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It was a mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausting practice.

Along the way, our teacher Vijay shared with us a story from his past. Omitting other details for brevity, the point I latched onto was his mention of the statement “this too shall pass”. This was such a funny coincidence, as a friend and I had just been discussing this very point the night before; even referencing a photo I took (see below). I had to verify it with him later, but I heard the story right the first time. When he was a child, his father wrote in Sanskrit on his wall, “This too shall pass.” After hearing this, tears welled up inside of me as I recalled both the joys and the sorrows, the challenges and the triumphs, and the other highs and lows that I’ve experienced on this journey.

Being in the depths of one of these lows, it can be nearly impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel. While at the crest of a high, the ground disappears below with nothing by the wind pushing you ever higher. Through experience and the memory of this wise old saying, it is possible to persevere, but it is essential to remember that the one constant in life is change. It doesn’t matter where you are, who you are, or what you are, you can always count on change. So take a little bit of that joy and bliss from your last zenith, and save it for the next low you face. Remember that in any moment in life, this too shall pass.