A letter home
A conference attendee has shared with us an email she sent back home after the first day of the conference. She has our loving gratitude.
So I was more than a little nervous about doing yoga with 799 other people. But I tried to be brave. I am here in Colorado with my teachers and peers from San Francisco. We flew into Denver and made our way to the buses which took us to Estes Park -- 8000 feet up. The altitude has made me light-headed, or is it the clear sky that is overwhelming me? The bare and beautiful mountains surround us on all sides, stronger and taller then I could ever be. The wind is whispering to us softly to remember our manners and to be obedient yogis.
Last night we had an orientation and every one of the 800 seats were taken. There was Rodney who can't stop holding hands with a particular exquiste woman, and Baron Baptiste with his signature do-rag. And Annette Benning and I am sure a variety of other famous people I don't recognitze.
We chanted all the sutras -- all 4 padas which means something link 125 versus in Sanskrit -- and I knew that this was in serious business. After that, we were treated to a logistics lecture -- do show up with your id, don't complain about the lines. When that lecture ended, we filed out quietly and were challenged to find our 2 shoes among the 1600 lying in the corridor. Luckily I had been given llovely, very distinctive shoes so mine were slipped on quickly, took me to my bedroom and I was asleep practically before they came off again.
The doors opened at 7 am. Mr Iyengar was scheduled to arrive at 9 am. I sauntered in -- through the door apointed to me -- and was ushered to the particular 2 x 5 foot space that was to be mine for the next 3 hours. The auditorium was the size of a football field. And there I was only 10 feet from the stage! Deborah Lapkin was right next to me, Nora Burnett in back of me. I knew I was going to be ok as I rolled out my mat. There may be 800 people but there was just enough room for me.
And so we waited. And and and we got excited. Suddenly people started to stand and and and there he was. Guruji. The tears just rolled down my cheeks as he made his way to the stage. As a little girl I always wanted to meet him. I don't know why really, maybe it was the silvery pretty cover of his book Light on Yoga that attracted me at first. But then as I got exposed to the world of yoga, and its effect on me, I came to truely value this man. And there he was in front of us, smiling and clapping and waving his hands. His eyes sparkled and you could tell how glad he was to be with us. We all cheered and cheered and cried and cried. It was rather amazing to feel the energy in the room.
Guruji lectured us about what we were about to experience. "Don't be carried away by the words. Let your heart experience the yoga"...."we are all equals here. I may be the senior teacher, but I am a student of yoga"...
And so it went for 3 hours. absolutely incredible to be in his presence. He is a shorter man then I thought, and his hands shake from age. But he is so clear and present. He enjoys being with us and us with him.
We broke for lunch and then went back for pranayama with senior teachers. In the middle of the lying practice we heard his voice. He had appeared, i assume after a nice nap b/c his hair had been combed and he had freshened up a bit, and told us how we were doing it all wrong. But, he got us all set up correctly, put us back in savasana, and then got wisked away by his entourage. Who knows when he will show up next, but we are scheduled for class in the morning.....
no phone here. but plenty of internet. so if you need me, just write...
namaste,
heather
