I do not talk very much these days about the spiritual underpinnings of my life or experience. Not very outwardly at any rate. I do believe that it is present in my language in general and certainly in my writing, but it is not overt. I speak very little to the spirit when I teach yoga these days and that works quite well for me. I do not instruct very often toward a theme or intention, maybe I will talk about a mood and move attention in that direction but it is not primary to what I am interested in doing on the mat.
So, a couple of things. Spending a few days- no where near enough- up on Triveni Ashram with friends and teachers and mentors who have long been walking a path steeped in connection to Grace; full of ritual and prayer and devotion and chanting and all the prasad, was an amazing source of renewal and remembering for me. I felt very seamless there. I never felt like I had to be something that I am not but rather that all of my parts were able to step out into the sunshine and drink up the light of love and practice. It was deeply nourishing to the whole of me.
Contrast that now with a 50-hour teacher training in which there is no part of the spiritual component of yoga instructed. There is no centering (as such), no mantra, no meditation (as such), essentially, no mention. And yet, it works very well for me. I am happy to talk about and then to practice the poses each as their own universe of information and speak only to the muscles, their contraction and their relaxation. I do not think that this is a complete way of being with or understanding the asana practice, however, I am more than happy to make my own connections and keep the alchemical experience that I perceive in my body and in my mind personal and private. I would love to trust that this is similar to how things are unfolding for everyone in the training but that is probably a leap. There are many different levels of experience and understanding in the room. And if I know anything about yoga it is that it can be useful to do what we need to do in the beginning to make the subtle overt and avoid making any assumptions about what is transpiring for any one individual.
At any rate, I am having a marvelous time. I do not really miss my family but that is probably due to keeping in mind that I am never ever gone for this long and who knows when I ever will be again. I am deeply appreciating my time away. I feel so heart full from my time up in the high desert and am clear that seeking out more opportunities for that in the future is something I want to prioritize. I love the ashram and the women there. It was wonderful to spend time in person with Christina and her teachings. There is just a lot that does not translate quite as clearly online, even though I am over the moon thankful for those regular touchstones.
I am also having a great time down in my old pueblo home. I love being with Sam and Rachel for some days on end even if we only see each other at the beginning and end of the days. The yoga is enlightening and intriguing to me and I am remembering how much I enjoy the particular way that Scott and Ida teach and how well it works for my system and my sensibilities. I am very much a fan of letting the yoga and the inner experience speak for themselves and as teachers, they have that on lockdown. It is effective. And of course, the desert is beautiful this time of year. Full of color and life.
I think that is it for now. I just put a 30-minute class series up on my site and I intend to get a newsletter out in the next few days. We shall see. Thanks as ever for being here. xxx,m