What I Meant to Say…

Today is my birthday.

This morning, as is normal for a Saturday morning, I headed out to teach my 8:30 class excited to see all my Saturday morning yogis. As we got into the flow of class I started to take them into a little more intense place than we have maybe ventured together thus far. I had bumped the thermostat a bit and asked them to really challenge their bodies, and their minds, as we worked through our practice. The group’s breath was strong. Sweat was dripping. It was lovely.

At the end of final relaxation I wanted to share a bit about what the challenge of today’s practice meant to me as I celebrate the start of a new year. Only I started to get a little emotional, which scattered my thoughts a bit, and I’m not sure what came out of my mouth was a true reflexion of what I wanted to share. So I’m taking this chance for a do over.

It’s hard for me to fully express how important the practice of yoga, and the physical challenges it has asked me to face on the mat, had enriched my life off the mat. There have been so many times through the years, whether in a class, or a workshop, or during personal practice, that I have been given the opportunity to find a balance of strength and ease in the face of physical challenge. Challenge that helps me to change my inner dialog when my body wants to step away from a pose that requires me step out of my normal comfort zone. To examine the reasons for resistance and to distinguish between my physical edge and mentally created barriers. Times that helped me to learn to listen to my breath as a gage, a guide, and a tool for finding peace.

The true gift of my practice of yoga has not been stretchier hamstrings (though I do enjoy that benefit as well) as much as how the lessons learned on the mat have transitioned into my life off the mat. It has helped me to find ease and breath in other areas of discomfort in life. To be able to objectively observe my reactions to challenging situations and to examine how I can flex my view to find a more comfortable seat. It has asked me to step out of the familiarity of my normal thought patterns, and to explore new possibilities and how they may better encourage growth. Give and take. Strength and surrender. Effort and ease. Whether on the mat, or in life, the opportunities to find balance are everywhere.

When I started exploring yoga a little over 10 years ago, I never would have guessed this is where the practice would take me over the years. How glad I am that it has.

At the end of class today I received another gift. The gift of celebration. My husband and daughters (and my friend’s two kids who hang out at our house while she comes to Saturday morning class) arrived at the studio with a basket of freshly baked, gluten free, mini muffins to share with my students. (Apparently there had been a bit of planning going on behind the scenes this week. Sneaky.)

What an appropriate way to celebrate the start of a new year of life. In a very special place that has both brought both challenge and comfort to my life through the past 8 months. And in the presence of a lovely, supportive, amazing group of people who I feel blessed and honored to have in my life…as students and as friends.

Thank you all for the love and blessings!

namaste