Lots of yoga.

The last couple of weeks have been a swirl of activity. From teaching a group of high schoolers in The Bronx, to a Chair Yoga class in Manhattan, a Flow & Slow Yoga at my regular Staten Island spot and a few others, plus actually finding time to take classes myself... well, it's been a great time. When I first contemplated teacher training, I thought that I had very clear ideas of what I might "accompish" with my certificate; however, the reality has been very different. First of all, I realize that I am accomplishing very little, I am only a guide to help my students find bliss for themselves. Secondly, I've found that the spiritual opportunities created through Yoga have far exceeded my expectations. While I still enjoy a good vinyasa, there is something so very "home-like" about teaching and taking time to contemplate the asanas and then practice this contemplation in the rest of my life.

It's also been an interesting week for hard questions and then observing my answers with an eye to how I might have responded not so long ago. Recently a student asked about the connection between yoga and sex, for example. I was shocked and speechless, which surprised me in itself because, as a jazz singer there's not too much I haven't heard of or seen. But then I realized that I had an answer inside of me, whether it was right or not, who can say? But I told her that yoga was about mindfulness and not to confuse feelings of pleasure or passion with the midfulness and awareness and suggested that it can be difficult to be fully involved with another person and mindful of one's own awareness -- for example, I enjoyed talking with her but I found it hard to be a good listener and notice my own breathing or posture at the same time. I had to turn one kind of awareness off to fully participate in the other. So, I suggested she look to her intentions and realize that if she is noticing someone else, then she is probably disconnected from herself, just as the opposite is true. Noticing those moments when your awareness shifts can be very telling -- are you truly "connected?" -- or are you experiencing moments of awareness interrupted by moments of passion?

I think not too long ago, I would have made a long case for the beauty of the simple human connection. While I can still make this case, there is also a beauty to the more difficult work of observing another person while also remaining fully present in one's own mind. This effort is also yoga.

Om shanti
धर्मशक्ति