#28 NAMASTE

Remember back in January I wrote in blog #24 that I was searching for meaning and purpose? That this is my year? Well, I'm happy to report that I am on my way. Starting in March, I will begin a 9 month immersion class in Anusara Yoga. I'm very excited and also a little nervous. How did this decision happen? Well... truthfully, by answering a lot of questions. When I kept coming back to the same answers, wanting to share knowledge and be healthy, I sent out an email query.

I wrote to a yoga instructor whose classes I had taken in the past and asked her how one goes about starting a yoga practice [practice defined as: repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency, as in incorporating this into your life]. She emailed me some questions and said that it would help her [to help me] if I answered them.

I wrote and re-wrote my answers, each time digging a little deeper, until I was able to put them all into a cohesive and understandable letter. I then sent her a copy. Below is my response:

Dear B,

I love the way I feel after yoga [and it doesn't matter what kind]. My head, heart and body feel calm and at the same time invigorated. Some teachers are better than others, but I take and give in each class what I am able to physically, spiritually and as a student. Almost 100% of the time I leave feeling "good" in the ways one should after yoga. It's one place where I don't expect anything from myself and am always happily amazed when I see that I am able to move/stand/pose/breathe/bend/stretch better or more comfortably or further than the last time.

Ten years ago when I was doing yoga almost everyday, my body felt like a well oiled machine. No neck aches, back aches, pulled muscles or tendons. I actually grew a 1/2 inch. I felt sore after some classes, but the kind of sore that hurts so good. I was so limber in many ways, and yet, I was unable to attain many poses. I'm now 10 years older and what I wanted in and for my life then is not what I want today. Spiritually and emotionally, my temperament has changed. Physically, it's going to take a little longer to get that muscle and joint elasticity back, but I can already see some improvement. I'm not a vegetarian if that means anything, but I try to eat and teach a healthy diet for myself and family.

I write a blog, and in January I wrote about this being my year. I have learned that when I feel best is when I have helped others feel their's. I have given a lot of thought to what I could do that would make me feel happy, healthy, stimulated, stimulating, inspired and inspiring, and I decided one way to achieve that would be to teach something that I love.

I don't know if you were aware of this, but I have taught anatomy and physiology over the years at different institutions and enjoyed it greatly. It is intellectually stimulating and I love it when I see students really enjoying learning it, but this doesn't make me healthy or calm or feel physically improved. It would mean more to me if after teaching a class, a student would leave feeling a renewed sense of personal awareness, a calmness, physically in touch with their abilities and inabilities, etc. I guess I would want them to say to themselves, "That was a really good class. I liked her voice and what she had to share. I'm going back to that one next week to see what else I can learn about myself".

So, although getting a "weekend certificate" would be great in many ways, I'm not sure that it would benefit me in my quest for meaning and purpose. I've had the chance a couple of times to teach a yoga class when the instructor didn't show or was late. Obviously I like to teach based on my past, but I truly loved this. As you recommended I looked at the Anusara site [on the internet] and honestly, it seems a little more intense and involved than I was expecting. However, after some thought, I came to the realization, "What's the rush? I'm not going anywhere and I'm sure not getting any younger [to which my knees can attest]!". So, when is your immersion course starting?

Fondly, Bobbie

Quote of the day: What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. Zig Ziglar