My Yoga Journey – to be continued
I knew I loved yoga (asana–the moving part–warriors, hand balances (not so much), back bends, deep twists and deep flexion poses…extreme, yeah!). Moving with “spiritual music”, rock-stars for teachers, “we are all one” philosophy, how could you not get hooked when you are a God-defying dancer who is “looking for more”. There is a magazine for “us” called Yoga. I used to read that monthly periodical cover to cover, knowing that I was a better person for reading and believing so much of it. Yoga as a I knew it was great, until I took a weekend workshop (I spent thousands of dollars on all kinds of yoga workshops). Half way into the weekend workshop (this was year 3 that we participated in this “prestigious” workshop), I posed in a magazine-cover-version of warrior for what seemed like 15 minutes in a 110 degree room with 40 other sweaty yogis and the teacher yelling at us to take it–to embrace the exorcism of our weaknesses, embrace the inner warrior–then POP, my right knee could no longer hold me upright.
Today I am grateful for that POP. I am grateful that I can no longer bend my right knee past 90 degrees. I am grateful that my knees bother me on hikes in Yosemite. I am grateful I cannot wear cute high heels. That POP represented a transformation that sent me seeking again. I somehow knew that yoga was inclusive and not exclusive (because I would no longer be able to participate in those physical yoga workshops without hurting myself). I somehow knew that there were yogis who did not have “perfect skinny bodies”. I somehow knew that yoga was more.
Time marches on and the yoga seeker again kept spending money on the right yoga for me. A dear client mentioned that there was a program in LA at LMU to become a yoga therapist. This was it! I found the yoga for me! I was going along blissfully to this 2 year course when one of the teachers in the program challenged all of us yogis in the classroom to give a definition of “yoga”, to define “what do you want from yoga”. He asked if we knew the history of yoga. He asked if we had studied Patanjali’s Sutras, the authoritative source of yoga. “If it’s not in the Sutras, it probably is not yoga”.
What? What have I been studying all these years?
Long story short, this teacher shed light on my yoga world and has been my teacher for 4+ years. I am a student–a life long student of Patanjali’s Sutras. The Sutras is a life long study and I love it. Come join me in this lovely journey of wisdom.
To be continued
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