First up: "Why teach yoga?"
That has been the question from a few people, lately. I guess they are thinking that I already have a full time job that, in itself, required a lot of training and education and requires a lot of my time and energy, so "why yoga?". Well, as many of you may know, anxiety runs rampant in my family and since about 1994, I've had my bouts with it. Medication has come and gone from my life until I met Dr. Basima Williams, who actually said, "Okay, enough of this" and handed me a new prescription. No, it wasn't for another medication, it very simply said, "YOGA". That was in 2009. Since then, I have never looked back and have had an almost daily yoga practice ever since. (I'm not suggesting that anyone go off of their medication. Please don't do that! I still take a small dose of anxiety medication at night to help me sleep because I know that I need to sleep. But yoga is what helps me when I'm awake.) Yoga has helped me cope with many trying times over the last several years and, more recently, is helping me through an incredibly painful and ongoing family crisis. Until my trip to Hawaii, last summer (which you can read about here), I practiced at home, by myself. Meeting that amazing group of people on the retreat made me realize that my home practice was lacking something- a community. Fast forward a few months. My husband and I were talking about the positive impact yoga has had on my life- my disposition, my mood, my outlook, my temper, my health, etc. (just to name a few!). Then the conversation drifted to my love of teaching. As I've mentioned here before, I think teaching, for me, is an extension of being a mother. Plus, I love to share what I love with other people so they will love it, too! So, after what turned into a rather lengthy discussion, the conversation ended with "Why don't you teach yoga?" That's all it took for the wheels to start spinning. I could do it on the side for now and, hopefully, on a more regular basis when I retire. Sounds like a plan, right?
Fast forward a few more weeks. And now, there is Jane's House. Oh, my. This community is another one of my greatest blessings. I truly believe that the group of angels I met in Hawaii were meant to be in my life at just that time, to lead me to the community at Jane's House. They don't know each other (at least that I know of), but they seem like they are all part of the same family. And it's really crazy to think about the divine timing of all of this. In training, we talk a lot about opposition - pushing and pulling, working and resting, expanding and contracting, etc. A perfect, personal example of this: just when I needed relief from the chaos and dysfunction of this family crisis, I was being taught how to find tranquility, peace and order in myself through yoga.
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| Yoga solitude, at home. |
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| Yoga community, at Jane's House. |
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| When your yoga notes and your Dove wrapper are giving you the same message. Another example of opposition: things falling apart before falling together. |
And now, with everything I've learned in the training (which focuses largely on the "internal dynamic" and self-inquiry), I know how to carry that feeling with me, throughout my day, every day, no matter where I am. Is it always easy? Absolutely not. It is a tool that has to be used and put into place with effort and practice. But in the end, it is truly magical and, clearly, could not have happened at a better time. And I can't wait to share it with other people.
Wishing you tranquility, peace and order in your life. Thanks for reading!
Be Still. Be Strong. Be Happy. And have a great week!
Juli
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