Assortment of butter (I am not Vegan – I eat Vegan with appreciation though) cookies and biscuits from Jiyugakuen, Tokyo, that 104 year old Dr. Hinohara eats everyday for lunch … what’s in it? Many around me tell me that aging is scary and that they don’t want to live long … hmmmm Here’s an inspiration.
Check out the new Wellness Store above…will list up more and plan for changes from time to time. For now though, more than all the reading, etc, most important is an actual good teacher – and there are so many. Just make sure they are at least 200 hrs. certified with Yoga Alliance; unless of course they are BEYOND or grandfathered that bare minimum. Actually, while it’s of course essential, it’s not only about the training hours but actual teaching hours – I am 200 hrs. certified, currently in training for 800 hrs. but looking back, I would say I would have done things a lot differently. And self-assessment of my own teachings would give me a very so-so Luke warm evaluation of self – it takes experience and PRACTICE to get better so I really want to thank the initial students for bearing with me the extremely green days – luckily I started with a low key community center who was just glad to have someone credentialed to show up and teach Hatha.
In the end, what really matters, after the foundation of having the techniques and anatomy basics – might be what Judith calls the ability to MIRROR back the inherent goodness, the light however dim – a potential radiance of that student so that the student can find the inner truth for self development or healing. The teacher or the therapist is not the healer; the student is. We are a conduit, the mirror the … companion guide (okay, a sherpa) in the trekking expedition that the student is undertaking, with which the struggles that we can empathize with as we’ve done the trek few+ times ourselves. One has to look at another human being with skepticism if she/he claims to be “a healer” – Really? As Niroga educator is quick to point out, claiming or taking credit as a ‘Healer” in itself is ego-driven and immediately places yourself, the healer ABOVE the one being healed. Is that the relationship we want to forge? I would hope not. We are just serving as if a sherpa would. Let’s stop this ego-driven self-importance.
I thought it’s so funny that Srivatsa Ramaswami’s biography reads he’s 500 hrs. certified – isn’t this a joke? He’s like beyond hundreds, more like thousands and thousands of hours trained, practiced and teaching – he’s an educator with an astounding depth of knowledge – and yet, he is so humble. Kind of like saying Judith is 500 hrs. or 800 hrs. – so so beyond. He’s beyond all that credentialing – but guess it’s only for the people in the know and general public has no idea the incredible knowledge these masters impart to yoga instructors. Anyway, thank goodness we have these masters (definition of mastery – was it not 10,000 hours of practice per Malcolm Gladwell) with distilled teachings. So blessed are we they are still around – it must be that anti-aging benefits of yoga that gives them the energy to never retire – they still travel, work and share what they know with kind generous heart.
Maybe anti-aging is not the word – it’s not battling or fighting aging. As our lovely local teacher Jean Mezzei would say – it’s “age-less” yoga. It’s the eternal what matters the most.
Gratitude for the gift of abundance. Now we just have to find that within. That sense of abundance we can share and be generous about. The intention is there.
What feels good?
