I’m often rushing and late to a week night yoga class. I was locked out of the door a few times. One time she finally noticed me standing outside and ‘reluctantly’ opened the door. The other time as I tried to ‘warm up’ (with different poses) to catch up the class, she said ‘please do the same as the class…’ I thought she was mean, inflexible, exactly the opposite what yoga is supposed to be. I’m upset about myself why I didn’t leave work a little earlier and concerned every time I come to class even if I’m not late.
In today’s class, I’m surprised when she approached to gently adjust my pose. I’ve been doing it (incorrectly?) for 5 months and no teacher has ever pointed it out. When practicing king pigeon pose, she asked the class how we felt, I said I felt like a ‘broken pigeon’. Everybody laughed and she said we are ‘beautiful pigeons’, not broken pigeons. Later at a new and challenging pose, I was warbling and awkward. I sheepishly said ‘I’m not very coordinated…’ she replied ‘neither am I’. The teacher has a long, model figure, her every move and pose are very elegant. I complimented her after the class and asked if she dances or ballets…She had a big smile, thanked me, and said she grew up figure skating. We had a little chit chat, suddenly she seems much more ‘human and sweet’ today.
I’m glad to see a different side of the teacher today. More accurately, I see a different side how I think of her. She is the ‘same’ person: beautiful, elegant, disciplined and perhaps even sweet and funny…it’s me who was late and came up the perceptions of her or how she think of me which might not be true. It’s interesting to see the contrast how fast we move on from what we’ve done to others (often don’t remember) vs. how much we hold-on to what others have done to us (sometimes not even true). What’s reality? Look at different sides, especially the side that fuels you with positive energy~
Saved as a favorite, I love your site!