You are in good company. In this crucible season of the deep winter, may we remind each other of how amazing, talented, beautiful, and capable we ALL are? It is because of each other that we are here. “We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” ~Dalai Lama XIV. He knows brilliant things.
May we all remember such powerful things: that we are of each other; to be here for each other; and we’re forever entangled anyway, may as well look each other in the eye and get on with it. I say all of this togetherness stuff to invite you to the mat in the coming days at Shree Yoga. Join me. We’re kicking off our second annual To the Moon and Beyond time. It’s a call to practice a lot in the closing days of the year, right smack in the middle of the holiday blur. First things first, you don’t have to get to 14 classes in 17 days to benefit, or even get a great deal. Making it to a couple yoga classes a week while juggling the end of a roll around the sun cycle, and a host of extracurricular holiday-esque events is a huge and awesome feat. Secondly, did you know you can’t fail at a yoga challenge/life?’
It’s not a competition, we’re just offering you the opportunity to step onto your mat with other human hearts beating in the room. You don’t have to make friends with everyone in the class to share the sacred space of practice. You needn’t even have to like the teacher! Your yoga teacher has no idea how it feels to move as you. The more time you spend trying new things and keeping your senses open to heed the call of your own body, the sweeter you get at listening. Teachers are here to guide you back to yourself, nothing more. That is the big whoop of the yoga, and why it’s so darned confronting sometimes. We are learning together.
I’ve witnessed more than a handful of personal rifts set into healing motion by the parties involved showing up to a yoga class and being stuck together for an hour, healing. There is something of a recognition, an acknowledgement of the need for healing outside of personal issues and personalities, that is a part of the showing up for our own practice. “Oh, you want to heal too?!?!” Of course. We all do. This recognition speaks to a tremendous consideration of the yoga which reckons that over time and with practice, that we begin to recognize the divine within ourselves and others. Surprise! “You want to feel universal love too?!?! You yearn to be a part of something bigger than yourself too?!?! You feel lost and small sometimes, get hung up on the interpersonal junk sometimes, are tender and vulnerable too?!?!” Of course. This is true for all of us. Through the yoga may we find our own perfectly rare and beautiful ways to express, and to be in the world.
Perhaps there is something or someone you’re ready to practice with. Or perhaps you’re ready to create some new community and be with people who are out loud acknowledging their own need to grow. It’s big medicine when we come together. And of course, this isn’t going to bake the whole healing pie. We’ve much more to do than share an hour and breathe. Yoga probably won’t fix all our problems, but holy wow, it is a solid beginning to bigger conversation. I hope to see you for a class and a smile in the coming weeks. And if you can dive in to see what happens in the billow of a kind of crazy commitment – 14 classes from December 16th through the first of the year – maybe I’ll be seeing you a whole bunch.
Have at it, friends, and let your little light shine bright,
Love,
Suki Ola
For more about this challenge and Shree Yoga Taos, please visit their site linked below.
All images thanks to Shree Yoga Taos
