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Flexibility is the beauty of a child, whose bones have not yet been hardened, whose body has not yet begun to store the effects, the tensions of life. Instead, there is smoothness, quickness, joy. Flexibility in an adult is not suppleness of body, but subtlety of thought, such vigilance that there is no storing or harboring of pain. It is pain that causes blockages, stops ease of response and cuts happiness dead. It is rare to find a flexible adult, one who hasn’t become a “walking habit” but who is still reacting freshly, unconditioned, unafraid. How is it possible?

One secret is renewal. If there is a constant flow of new feelings, it is like a shower washing away the bits and pieces of reactions unexpressed, which if left, accumulate to form fears or prejudices. To find new feelings, to refuel, you don’t have to go anywhere, except inside you, away from the obvious. Going away from the obvious is a spiritual holiday, and a person is always easier when they’ve been away.

The problem with normal holidays is that you cannot bring the sunshine back with you. To be flexible you have to go away, mentally with draw, but you also have to return bearing something deep and original from inside, something to use, or else the shock of bumping into life again makes you start and harden.

Withdrawing is a habit; should be sacredly held as should rise early or eating in peace. These are the doors that u can stumble through if in trouble, and find composure again. So whilst childlikeness, softness, is the beauty of being flexible, discipline is its basis.

But you can be too strict. When habits have been adopted as systems and you can’t get rid of them, when they haven’t been internalized and deeply appreciated, then life is rigid and dull. Where there is flexibility, you can let go of everything visible, because the discipline is part of your bones.

In a perfect world, flexibility would simply be an expression of joy, an unbidden somersault into the air, suppleness of mind and body together. A dance. In the meantime, it is moving with the times, slipping through life as gently and strongly as possible. And above all, making all problems into teachers.