Lessons On Humility

The best offerings of gratitude to a teacher in ascending order:

1. Gift them offerings, smiles, flowers, incense, etc...

2. Do something for them with your body, i.e. make them food, drive them places, clean for them.

3. Practice what they taught you.

Jayendra, profe de Anusara arrived on thursday from Amsterdam and it has been as if a joya (jewel) fell into my lap. I was craving a teacher and an opening inspiring yoga "practice." A reminder of the light, and the magic in it all. Teachings to spark my passion again.

I was unaware until yesterday that he was not only going to teach a weekend of workshops but also a week long teacher training.

Tonight I was blessed to be able to make him a dinner of Quinoa with broccoli and carrots (from the local farmers market where you can bring your compost twice a week too!) and steamed kale with ginger and soy sauce. Raw chocolate bliss-balls for dessert!

To sit with such a teacher so experienced in THE PRACTICE and be able to provide food made with love, and sit in his company and hear his stories- such an honor. He lived at Gurumayi's ashram for 7 years and began practicing yoga about 30 years ago! humble humble, like standing in front of a grandfather red wood tree and trying not to try to figure out what to say or ask.

So, I continue to flow, with the gifts that arrive.

Learning to teach all the elements of the heart-connecting thematic practice of anusara yoga along with all the priciples of the postures, in spanish. Totally humbling learning exactly how to say smoothly, rhythmically, and with a yogic intonation, "raise your arms to shoulder hight, turn your right foot forward 90*, exhale bend your RIGHT knee, etc etc..." And then to connect it all to how we are ultimately the universal, always in pulsation between one-ness and duality. PLUS add at least two heart qualities such as, "with the extension of organic energy, celebrate the JOY of connecting to something greater."

For those who know anusara, there are lots of subtle instructions that put us in therapeutic alignment and that open us up to a feeling of "ananda" or bliss. I'm figuring out the tricks of how they make their classes so yummy and inspirational.

I'm immensely enjoying painting the picture of my life, and taking the steps of practicing what I soon will just- be doing. To remember this time of discomfort, and all the other times of discomfort when I chose to challenge myself because I had faith that I could do something as long as I wanted it badly enough to practice it and prioritize it. So much possibility!

These days, when I arrive to a new location where I will be staying for at least a few days, I make an alter with my favorite inspiring cards, letters, artwork, yantras, leaves, feathers, found/gifted treasures...Lately on my alter I've blindly chosen a quote from a pocket-sized pile that my friend Abigail bought for me on an adventure in Northampton, MA. My Argentina quote is, "It's ok to do it wrong." This sit's next to a heart shaped note that says, "Every moment is magic mango land~Abundance ~Love."

and

"Could you imagine growing up as a duckbill platypus? Probably not. Nothing is as it seems. Could you imagine all you truly love being the simple manifestation of what you call, 'your life.'"

One love~