Radical Acceptance

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In Today's Email:

• 'Radical Acceptance' Changed My Life: A Beginner's Guide to This DBT Principle…

• Did you know? DBT Fact…

• Yogapedia: Today’s pose of the day...

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LEARN TODAY:
'Radical Acceptance' Changed My Life: A Beginner's Guide to This DBT Principle

When my therapist first mentioned "radical acceptance," I nearly rolled my eyes. Another therapy buzzword that sounded good in theory but impossible in practice. How could simply "accepting" painful situations help when everything in me wanted to fight against them?

Six months later, I can tell you: radical acceptance didn't just help—it transformed how I experience life's inevitable hardships.

What Is Radical Acceptance?

Radical acceptance is a core principle of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan. At its simplest, it means completely accepting reality as it is—not as you wish it to be.

The "radical" part refers to accepting something completely, from the depths of your mind, heart, and body. It doesn't mean you approve of what happened or that you won't work to change things. It simply means acknowledging what is.

The Cost of Non-Acceptance

Before discovering radical acceptance, my pattern was predictable:

1. Something painful would happen

2. I'd think: "This isn't fair," "This shouldn't be happening," or "I can't stand this"

3. My suffering would multiply as I fought against reality

4. I'd stay stuck, often for weeks or months

What I didn't realize was that my resistance to painful situations was creating a second layer of suffering—one entirely of my own making.

How to Practice Radical Acceptance

Radical acceptance isn't a one-time achievement but a daily practice. Here's how I incorporate it:

Notice the non-acceptance: Pay attention to thoughts like "this shouldn't be happening" or physical signs of resistance like tension or avoidance.

Remind yourself that reality is what it is: I often repeat to myself, "This is happening, whether I accept it or not."

Focus on what you can control: After accepting what you can't change, direct your energy toward what you can influence.

Use coping statements: Phrases like "I can handle this moment, even though it's difficult" or "This is painful, and I can still move forward" can help.

What Radical Acceptance Is Not

Radical acceptance is frequently misunderstood. It's not:

• Giving up or being passive

• Approving of bad situations

• Forgiveness (though it may lead there)

• An instant cure for pain

Real-Life Impact

Since practicing radical acceptance, I've noticed:

• Conflicts resolve faster when I accept others as they are

• I move through grief more fluidly without fighting the pain

• My anxiety lessens when I accept uncertainty

• I waste less time on things I truly cannot change

The most profound change? The reduced suffering. Pain is inevitable in life, but the additional suffering caused by resisting reality is optional.

Starting Small

If you're new to radical acceptance, don't begin with your most painful challenges. Start with small annoyances—traffic jams, a canceled plan, a minor disappointment.

Practice thinking, "This is happening. I don't like it, but I can accept it." Notice how your body relaxes when you stop fighting reality.

As your skill grows, you can apply radical acceptance to larger challenges—relationship difficulties, health issues, or major life changes.

Remember: acceptance doesn't mean you won't take action to improve situations when possible. It simply means you're starting from a place of clear-eyed reality rather than wishful thinking or denial.

Radical acceptance won't eliminate all suffering from your life—nothing can. But it might just transform your relationship with pain, making space for more peace, even in difficult circumstances.

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CRYSTAL OF THE DAY

POSITIVE NEWS OF THE DAY
Finland kicked a dirty habit

Finland has phased out the dirtiest fossil fuel four years ahead of schedule after its last coal-fired power plant closed for good on Tuesday.

The smut-belching Salmisaari facility in Helsinki (main picture) was the last continuously used coal plant in Finland. Its closure follows a collapse in coal use in the Nordic nation, which has doubled the amount of energy it gets from wind since 2020.

Like the UK, which phased out coal last year, Finland has replaced imported fossil fuels with domestically produced wind power, strengthening energy security, cutting emissions, and boosting the economy. A recent report from the Confederation of Finnish Industries found that wind power is now “the biggest enabler of Finland’s economic growth”.

“Finland has shown what’s possible when clear political signals are matched with rapid investments in renewable power,” said Cyrille Cormier of Beyond Fossil Fuels, a campaign group. “Wind alone has more than covered the gap left by coal and fossil gas, proving that renewable energy can be scaled fast, particularly when government policy creates the right conditions.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was originally developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Marsha Linehan specifically to treat borderline personality disorder, but has since been adapted to treat many other conditions including depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and PTSD. What makes DBT unique is its emphasis on dialectical thinking—the ability to hold two seemingly opposite perspectives simultaneously—and its focus on four key skill modules: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

YOGAPEDIA
Revolved Half Moon Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana)

What is Revolved Half Moon Pose?

Revolved half moon pose, or parivrtta ardha chandrasana in Sanskrit, is both a balancing and twisting posture. It is similar to half moon pose where the yogi balances on one leg, the other leg and torso parallel to the ground, arm reaching toward the sky. However, in this variation, the torso is revolved toward the standing leg and the opposite arm reaches to the sky. It is a challenging intermediate posture.

Instructions

• Begin in half moon pose, standing on your right foot with your right fingertips on the floor.

• Exhale and lower your left fingertips to the floor. Inhale and reach your right arm toward the sky, torso twisting to the right.

• Breathe while holding the pose. Exhale and untwist, returning to half moon.

• Inhale and come to standing. Again, come to half moon pose, this time standing on your left foot with your left fingertips on the floor.

• Exhale and lower your right fingertips to the floor.

• Inhale and reach your left arm toward the sky, torso twisting to the left.

• Breathe while holding the pose.

MEME