Equanimity – my former yoga teacher used to mention it all the time. Trying to be the ‘equanimous’ person. What does that mean?
To my mind, it means someone who is really calm and composed.
Where does composure come from?
An understanding of the bigger picture. Not stressing the small items. Knowing that energy shifts and changes all the time. The good times never last and so it is with the bad times. Life goes on.
In Searching for Serenity– I host a photo and blog challenge with two other bloggers. This challenge runs until next Thursday, when a new prompt will be released. Clickhere for more details.
A philosophic Aussie writes here at StPA, one who will readily admit to loving Scandinavia. I'm interested in global politics and what drives us to be who we are. Scratch the surface and you'll find a practical Environmentalist with an egalitarian bent, trying to unleash a little creativity via the written word.
Scandinavian culture, literature and traditions are close to my heart, even though I'm Australian. Travel and courteous discussions greatly broaden the mind, so I travel if I can and am always up for a vigorous, respectful discussion. I'm an avid reader, I enjoy photography and craft, particularly traditional art forms. I hope you'll find 'Something to Ponder About,' in my WordPress Community.
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44 thoughts on “Equanimity”
Thank you for the words Amanda! I strive to live like that. In equanimity.
Great word and great post, Amanda. I too strive for equanimity. Although my striving is sincere, my progress is often filled with stops and starts and bumps along the way.
I imagine small doses are welcome. It may be similar to happiness, a temporary state that comes and goes. Contentment and progress towards equanimity is likely to be more constant. What do you do to support yourself through the troughs, Jo? Walking?
I’m not very good at managing the troughs, Amanda. I suppose it does depend on the cause. If it’s something beyond my control like Covid or Brexit, then yes, walking is helpful. Better than banging my head against a wall.
Support and spoil yourself as much as you can during those troughs. Cake is a good pick me up! Today I had a Fig and Walnut cake I made. Delicious enough to pass for a banana bread substitute for breakfast!
Please don’t bang your head on the wall, Jo. I agree walking is more helpful and doesn’t hurt as much!
No, uncharacteristically I spent all morning with my feet up after an accident on Thursday, but some kind friends drove us to the restaurant. Hopefully walking again tomorrow. We’ll see.
Some days I embody equanimity, other days I’m a frenzied mess. Would that I was more the former than the latter, but I strive for balance between the two!
I am not one to stress about stuff – especially what I can’t control. Of course, this isn’t always the case as life does throw a few curve balls now and then.
You do sound like the equanimous person, Janis. I admire that. Life throws everyone curveballs, I think – it is how you manage and react that makes the difference. That reminds me of the Japanese proverb – Fall seven time, get up eight.
Sophie it always seems it is those times when we can’t get to sleep easily that our troubles come to the forefront of our minds. The absence of external distractions brings our focus to unresolved problems. Sometimes deep thinking can help resolve challenges, but more often than not, it can trigger a negative thought loop. I have been known to get up and do some intense exercise for 10 minutes to prepare my mind to relax more. One blogger recommended a phone app called Insight Timer. It was surprisingly effective.
Yes that is why! Funny you recommended Insight Timer as I had downloaded Smiling Mind which I think is similar. I’ve been bad at getting into a sleep schedule- must work on that.
I am sure I have come across the Smiling Mind – it sounds like something I have heard from the ABC RN program, with Lynne Malcolm. The Insight timer has a range of meditations with different angles and locations – and different voices so you may find one that synchs with you better.
I had a yoga teacher once who told us, starting out in complete serious and calm mode. “Strive to not sweat the petty things, but for goodness sake, never pet the sweaty things!” That has always stuck in my mind, and I call those little annoyances “sweaty things,”
How funny! She was a yoga teacher with a sense of humour! I hate sweaty things but I shall try to remember this connotation! It is good advice. Mild annoyances are not really important to life’s big problems, but a sign we are in a good place, a place where we can be grateful we are secure, stable and safe enough that we can even contemplate mild annoyances in life.
Wonderful words Amanda and ones that I need in my life right now. My husband said we’ve had it good for too long so we are now in the middle of some bad times sadly
No not the Covid situation Amanda
I am in the UK taking care of my 90 yr old parents and my dad is very ill, going to have some treatment soon. We are still managing to get out and about though. We have just been to Devon for a very dear old friends funeral. It’s all about others at the moment but missing my own family dearly
Oh I am sorry to hear. It sounds like a difficult time for you. I hope it goes well for your Dad. Missing family is often felt as real physical pain.
Sendung hugs.
Absolutely. Sadness is a measure of happiness we must accept to some degree. As much as we would want a life without sadness, to do so would not be living. Thank you for your comment, Rosa. It is much appreciated.
Equanimity. What a good word! I strive for patience and balance most days. I have frequently commented on how we can’t have light without dark (who knew I was paraphrasing Carl Jung?) but sometimes I struggle with the dark and getting back to that place of mental calmness.
It is that stable balance between light and dark we all seek and want continuously, Zazzy. Life is that yin and yang: natural fluctuations of a pendulum that swing one way and then back to another. If we had only light and no darkness, would the lightness still always be light? Is it all relative to our circumstances?
Our brains seemed geared to pay more attention to the negative – as a self preservation mechanism. However, I sometimes think that when we in the first world complain about small things, those minor irritations of life, it is because being comparatively lucky and comfortable to others in the less privileged world, we seem to subconsciously search/need something grating or uncomfortable to feel a gradient of joy if and when it does arrive again.
That is probably a more in depth answer than you expected but you did paraphrase Carl Jung….
I hope you find the patience and balance you are seeking.
Thanks for the inspiring comment!
I’ve improved a lot in the search for serenity. I made the mistake of asking God for patience and He put my in situations where I needed to develop it and gave me people who caused my to seek it. 🙂 I think contentment is something many people lack, not to be confused with joy, which to my mind is a more intense feeling that you don’t feel all the time. It’s difficult to be content in a world where everyone wants more, wants to be someone important/an influencer/the best. I think perhaps contentment and serenity are very closely related.
Contentment and serenity linked? Yes one gives a sense of the other.
Joy is more transient, I do agree.
And why I wonder does everyone want to stand out and be an influencer?
Something to Ponder About 
Thank you for the words Amanda! I strive to live like that. In equanimity.
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Well done, Aletta. I strive but do not always succeed. But I keep working on it.
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That’s all we can do😊
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Great word and great post, Amanda. I too strive for equanimity. Although my striving is sincere, my progress is often filled with stops and starts and bumps along the way.
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And with every bump/stop and start we learn!
Thanks for stopping by, Donna. Have a lovely weekend!
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Something I experience in small doses. It’s more peaks and troughs wih me.
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I imagine small doses are welcome. It may be similar to happiness, a temporary state that comes and goes. Contentment and progress towards equanimity is likely to be more constant. What do you do to support yourself through the troughs, Jo? Walking?
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I’m not very good at managing the troughs, Amanda. I suppose it does depend on the cause. If it’s something beyond my control like Covid or Brexit, then yes, walking is helpful. Better than banging my head against a wall.
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Support and spoil yourself as much as you can during those troughs. Cake is a good pick me up! Today I had a Fig and Walnut cake I made. Delicious enough to pass for a banana bread substitute for breakfast!
Please don’t bang your head on the wall, Jo. I agree walking is more helpful and doesn’t hurt as much!
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At lunch today I had the most delicious fig and alfarroba (carob) cake. So moist!
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Now that sounds delicious – best saved for dessert! Were you out walking today?
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No, uncharacteristically I spent all morning with my feet up after an accident on Thursday, but some kind friends drove us to the restaurant. Hopefully walking again tomorrow. We’ll see.
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Take it easy on that leg! But great to hear you are optimistic about walking tomorrow.
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😊💟
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Looking forward to being equanimous tomorrow after I have delivered three dogs to the groomer.
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Three dogs?
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Some days I embody equanimity, other days I’m a frenzied mess. Would that I was more the former than the latter, but I strive for balance between the two!
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Everything in balance and moderation is a pathway to equanimity! Both are us are striving for that!
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I am not one to stress about stuff – especially what I can’t control. Of course, this isn’t always the case as life does throw a few curve balls now and then.
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You do sound like the equanimous person, Janis. I admire that. Life throws everyone curveballs, I think – it is how you manage and react that makes the difference. That reminds me of the Japanese proverb – Fall seven time, get up eight.
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Something that I need to work on at times especially before sleeping.
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Sophie it always seems it is those times when we can’t get to sleep easily that our troubles come to the forefront of our minds. The absence of external distractions brings our focus to unresolved problems. Sometimes deep thinking can help resolve challenges, but more often than not, it can trigger a negative thought loop. I have been known to get up and do some intense exercise for 10 minutes to prepare my mind to relax more. One blogger recommended a phone app called Insight Timer. It was surprisingly effective.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes that is why! Funny you recommended Insight Timer as I had downloaded Smiling Mind which I think is similar. I’ve been bad at getting into a sleep schedule- must work on that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am sure I have come across the Smiling Mind – it sounds like something I have heard from the ABC RN program, with Lynne Malcolm. The Insight timer has a range of meditations with different angles and locations – and different voices so you may find one that synchs with you better.
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Thanks Amanda, well said.
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Thank you I appreciate the visit, Keith.
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I had a yoga teacher once who told us, starting out in complete serious and calm mode. “Strive to not sweat the petty things, but for goodness sake, never pet the sweaty things!” That has always stuck in my mind, and I call those little annoyances “sweaty things,”
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How funny! She was a yoga teacher with a sense of humour! I hate sweaty things but I shall try to remember this connotation! It is good advice. Mild annoyances are not really important to life’s big problems, but a sign we are in a good place, a place where we can be grateful we are secure, stable and safe enough that we can even contemplate mild annoyances in life.
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Well said my friend!
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Really interesting word. I’ll keep it in mind and maybe I can become more equanimous over time.
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It is an interesting word – it almost borders on onomatopoeia
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Wonderful words Amanda and ones that I need in my life right now. My husband said we’ve had it good for too long so we are now in the middle of some bad times sadly
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I assume you are talking about the COVID-19 situation in WA and hope it is not about any other crisis?
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No not the Covid situation Amanda
I am in the UK taking care of my 90 yr old parents and my dad is very ill, going to have some treatment soon. We are still managing to get out and about though. We have just been to Devon for a very dear old friends funeral. It’s all about others at the moment but missing my own family dearly
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Oh I am sorry to hear. It sounds like a difficult time for you. I hope it goes well for your Dad. Missing family is often felt as real physical pain.
Sendung hugs.
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Thanks Amanda 😊
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If there were no sadness, value of happiness can never be measured. Great post. Thank you.
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Absolutely. Sadness is a measure of happiness we must accept to some degree. As much as we would want a life without sadness, to do so would not be living. Thank you for your comment, Rosa. It is much appreciated.
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Thank you for stopping by.
Equanimity. What a good word! I strive for patience and balance most days. I have frequently commented on how we can’t have light without dark (who knew I was paraphrasing Carl Jung?) but sometimes I struggle with the dark and getting back to that place of mental calmness.
LikeLike
It is that stable balance between light and dark we all seek and want continuously, Zazzy. Life is that yin and yang: natural fluctuations of a pendulum that swing one way and then back to another. If we had only light and no darkness, would the lightness still always be light? Is it all relative to our circumstances?
Our brains seemed geared to pay more attention to the negative – as a self preservation mechanism. However, I sometimes think that when we in the first world complain about small things, those minor irritations of life, it is because being comparatively lucky and comfortable to others in the less privileged world, we seem to subconsciously search/need something grating or uncomfortable to feel a gradient of joy if and when it does arrive again.
That is probably a more in depth answer than you expected but you did paraphrase Carl Jung….
I hope you find the patience and balance you are seeking.
Thanks for the inspiring comment!
LikeLike
I’ve improved a lot in the search for serenity. I made the mistake of asking God for patience and He put my in situations where I needed to develop it and gave me people who caused my to seek it. 🙂 I think contentment is something many people lack, not to be confused with joy, which to my mind is a more intense feeling that you don’t feel all the time. It’s difficult to be content in a world where everyone wants more, wants to be someone important/an influencer/the best. I think perhaps contentment and serenity are very closely related.
janet
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Contentment and serenity linked? Yes one gives a sense of the other.
Joy is more transient, I do agree.
And why I wonder does everyone want to stand out and be an influencer?
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And why are the people I see as influencers influencing anyone? Who cares what they think or do? The whole thing is just weird to me.
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Agreed
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