I've noticed something that grows in me every time I attend a yoga class. Lately, I've been attending more classes to enhance my yoga teacher training, so this growth is happening more often than it once was.
It seems that, when we're done, I fall a little bit in love with every single person who's attended that class with me.
The feelings are very small from the first part of class...where we practice our deep breathing. We all are beginning to breathe deeply together. At the start, I begin to feel connected to those right next to me.
Then, as we move through the flow portion of the class (which takes a bit of work!)...I feel even more connected, as we are all working together. Our muscles and our minds are moving together, totally synchronized.
As the class progresses, we stay connected, but we are each on our own individual journey. We do not do every single pose exactly the same, but we are travelling together, growing stronger together, struggling together, and pushing ourselves...together. We feel joy and pain and exercise mental toughness as well as our muscles. We are uncomfortable, but we also feel a kind of freedom. We explore our bodies' abilities, yet listen to ourselves when we know when we need to back off. We fall down, but we get right back up. We're all determined. We are serving ourselves and learning about ourselves, yet we're still there with each other. We are all just...trying. And...eventually...we join together in the same way on our mats, full of sweat. We welcome the final resting pose.
Together.
When it's all over, my love for each person in the class has really blossomed from those beginning breaths together. I always have this urge to hug everyone who shared in that hour of yoga class with me. It doesn't matter that we're all dripping with sweat! We went on this strange, awkward journey where we were all totally real and open to growth. We traveled through something we'll never experience again. It wrung our bodies out, yet relaxed our minds. We were, in a sense, cleansed. We felt very much the same range of emotions in that one hour, regardless of how well we knew each other. Most of us didn't know the rest of us at all. Still, we shared what I feel is was one of the most beautiful things the human body can do. How could I not LOVE that?
It doesn't matter if someone there was a complete newbie who fell over many times and had to watch everyone else to know what pose we were doing. I love people who are new to yoga because they have an open mind and it took them a tremendous amount of courage just to show up at this class.
It also doesn't matter if one of the others was an avid, muscular, lithe yogi that did all the hardest versions of all the yoga poses. I love the experts because they have a true, shining passion for the practice.
One part of my yoga journey where I didn't necessarily feel love at all...it was a big bunch of FEAR, really...was before yoga teacher training began. I was terrified I'd dislike all the people attending class with me. I wasn't really sure why. I think it was a mix of social anxiety coupled with feeling that so many yoga teachers seem to have this confidence about them. To me, most yoga teachers walk with a sense of ease along with centered-ness. I think I was afraid that I wouldn't necessarily fit in.
Because...if you know me...I'm brash. Blunt. I stand out. I'm outspoken. I'm LOUD. And a little crazy. But...that's me.
Well, it turns out, that after spending several weekends with these people, I've gotten the impression that they're apprehensive, too! I think that all of us are just hoping that we don't mess up. We have, and we will, and that's OK! Who cares? I love them for being there, for sharing in this extension...this GRAND expansion...of my yoga journey. OUR journey. We've struggled, yet we are real together, and we encourage each other. I feel so much love for them as well! I hope they can feel it too. I think I might have to hug all of them more, huh?
I found this incredibly beautiful video that's entitled, "Yoga in Love". It's the most wonderful yoga video I've ever seen, and I think it really resonates with my LOVE-ly theme. Enjoy!
Link obtained from:
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/11/the-most-beautiful-yoga-video-of-the-month-of-the-ever/?utm_source=All&utm_campaign=Daily+Moment+of+Awake+in+the+Inbox+of+Your+Mind&utm_medium=email
Much love to you!
Sarah
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