Luckiest Yoga Teacher Alive
This weekend I've been able to study with some of the best yoga teachers in the free world at the Yoga Journal Conference at Grand Geneva, Wis. In the last four days I have met/studied with the following amazing teachers:
Ana Forrest, Desiree Rumbaugh, Aadil Palkhivala, Gary Kraftsow, Ganga White, Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, David Swenson, and Leah Kalish.
So it's easy to understand why I feel like luckiest yogi in the universe. I've been to these conferences before, and I've always learned a lot—usually a lot of helpful asana tips. But this weekend wasn't just about the teachers and the asana for me. It seemed like their messages all aligned to give me the exact message I needed to hear.
"Stop whining! Take a deep breath and move on, because you've got more important things to do."
You see, I've been feeling bad about my yoga practice lately—and worse about my teaching. I haven't been practicing daily. I recently hurt mysef. And no matter what I do, I can't get the attendance for my yoga class up. In other words, I needed this conference.
First, Desiree Rumbaugh taught about physical and emotional strength. All of the challenges that come up in your life are there to mold you into who you are, she said. And yoga makes you strong engough to handle it all.
I watched Ana Forrest twist and turn her body into the most beautiful and inspirational positions I've ever seen in an asana demonstration she performs to help us realize it's possible to overcome adversity. (She had been born crippled and endured a great deal of abuse in her life. She may be my new hero.)
Then, Seane Corn talked about Karma Yoga. She told about her work with YouthAids in poverty-stricken countries. And she encouraged the class to think about what we're passionate about—ways we can make a difference. She also explained her theory that all the negative things happening the world today are a culmination of all of our bad thoughts. Oops.
But perhaps I was most impacted by Leah Kalish, the director for a program that works to educate yoga teachers and school teachers to introduce yoga in the school systems, Yoga Ed. I spent the entire day with Leah, as she talked about lesson plans and teaching tactics. And even though this workshop was about teaching younger kids than I teach, I got tons of ideas for my class. We hissed like snakes. We roared like lions. We played a lot of fun games. I was reminded of how much fun yoga can be.
I can't wait to teach again.
Comments
Thank you, Erica! As I began reading your latest entry I wondered if they'd gotten hold of _my_ journal! I've had such rich blessings recently, and still I'm hung up on anxiety about my practice (not as regular as I'd like) and my flagging attendance as a new teacher. Your report from the conference and application of wisdom helps. Thank you! Namaste.
Posted by: Christine Stump | May 8, 2007 08:07 PM
There's not enough irreverence in yoga. That, and not enough post-savasana wine drinking.
And not to mention, not nearly enough friday-night-yoga-death-match spectacles. But i digress.
The point is, yoga in America in the 21st century, despite the 16 million of us sweatily, vinyasaning away, has not yet found it's voice.
We get caught up in the fact that it feels so good. Not just the endorphin high that a you get from say, running. Yeah, of course there is the simple chemistry of the opiate-like endorphin high in play here, to which, any animal would return. But whether you intend or not, provided you are breathing, moving, stretching and contracting, however clumsily, there is this progression though the phyisical, mental, and yes emotional and spiritual. Yes, my inner tough guy cringes as I type the words. But all of that feels good. Feels right. Feels (cringe) pure (despite the fact that a "yoga practice" mirrors many of the same elements and definitions of addiction).
- Sure it's PHYSICAL and delivers all of the same benefits -- but this is not a fitness workout. It's also not a competition nor a spectator sport, yet we'd be lying if we pretended we, at times, were not competing with - or gawking at - others on the surrounding mats. You can look at my kurmasana if I can look at yours. How'd my butt look in my utthita hasta padangusthasana?..how 'bout my pantylines? My eagle can poop on your crow.
- Yes MENTAL - even EMOTIONAL - benefits can quickly evolve from your practice, but this is not psychoanalysis or some new age group therapy session. Nor some macrobiotic, vegan, granola-munching health-food store be-in/love-in. And if prosac calms your inner-turmoil sufficiently enough to allow your spine to tourque in the necessary cartoon-esque fashion to finally access your marichasana D - no judgements against you, your doctor, or pharmacist, and namaste to pfizer.
And if you pretend you don't need at least a viente starbucks to overcome your hangover, clear the fog from your drishti, and get through your Sunday morning suryna namaskara A's and B's (5 and 3, lush!), I wouldn't believe you anyway. Nor would i understand why -- come on, that stuff is manna from heaven....nectar of the gods. i digress again.
- The SPIRITUAL? In the age where all religions (the big-three, anyway) have equally embraced and/or been hijacked by radical extremism and/or mega-church consumerism, demand for non-denomination spirituality should be soaring. But what does this word even mean? It was so used and abused by the hippy-set through the 60's and 70's as to become completely banal and convoluted. How do we recognize that there is something beyond ourselves that perhaps we eventual get granted access to, while avoiding falling prey to the manipulation of human nature to organize and profit from it? One thing is clear yoga: is not religion. What spirituality even is in the 21st century; is about as clear as mud. Although it does seem clear a glass of good wine immediately following savasana likely comes somewhat close.
So much to consider. So much to contemplate. So much dichotomy.
I'm going to go have a glass of good cabernet and finish planning the summer yoga-death-match series.
Look for it at a fitness supercenter or mega-studio near you.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 15, 2007 03:33 PM