Friday, September 9 -- Arriving at the Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) workshop I suddenly felt older. I felt the instinct to project a younger self. I scrutinized the other students; their shapes, heights, colors, even the clothes they wore. They were younger than me, some probably 2 decades younger! Would I be able to keep up physically with them? The teachings had not begun and luckily this student was aware how much she needed to learn! In those few minutes, barely inside the studio, I had broken so many principles of Yoga: to clearly see others and yourself; non biased or nonjudgemental mind; purity; generosity; compassion, love...
Anthony de Mello wrote "The first act of love is to see this person or this object, this reality, as it truly is. And it involves the enormous discipline of dropping your desires, your prejudices, your memories, your projections, your selective way of looking." The first ingredient of Love, Mello explains, "Is to really see the other." And in my case to also really see who I am.
With this reminder I set out to really get to know my classmates and to be me. I was learning and understanding the First limb of The Eight limbs of Yoga, the Yamas (to restrain). And at the top of the list of Yamas are Ahimsa, non violence and Satya, truthfullness. Violence could also mean anger or judging others and oneself.
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