Here’s some photos …that doesn’t invade anyone’s desire for privacy. Click Here. This is the more physical portion of the practice … then we peel away, layer by layer … someone said, “like an onion.” There are some incredible sharing of knowledge that took place – really loved learning from fellow student teachers some with so much experience … I love learning from those who has lived the topsy-turvy of successes and losses … they are resilient and tough but not hardened … their heart remaining kind and generous, more empathetic to the human suffering …all I have is deep respect for everyone at the sangha. I also loved how humble Judith can be when she said, “has it ever occurred to you that sometimes your students may know so much more than you in some areas that you have no idea about? ” and let one student/teacher lead a sequence that we all moaned with delight doing. Safe hip openers…
Well intended or not well informed, things that we give…
that may not serve the loved ones. Be well informed aligned with your good intentions.
This year has been a lot of learning due to year one of Yoga Therapist 2-year program and as if that’s not enough, RSVPing YES to the invitational where Judith created a Sangha of worldwide yogis – right in San Francisco. Initially I was planning to opt out but when she said something to the effect that she only holds these special sessions every couple of years and may not again for some time to come (she puts things into perspective by saying something like – my meter is running out; I can’t guarantee if I will ever teach this material again – whhhatttt !!!); I jumped. Why wouldn’t you want to learn from who I consider one of the best yoga teachers of the West if the opportunities to do so in the future may be so limited. Of course, having completed the series of three this year, I am now convinced that she can teach into 90’s like BKS did, and similarly, in Judith’s case as well, with her lovely daughter, Lizzie at her side. Still, as another yogini mentioned how she regrets not having the opportunity to learn from a certain teacher – thinking oh, next time, I will sign up – and then … there’s no next time. You can’t let that happen if you can help it – right? That’s right. So while sacrifices were made (sob), it is what it is.
What I love so much about Judith is that she combines the intelligence into the physical and the spiritual so it’s not just as she jokingly says “all some woo woo stuff”. With a PhD, she might as well be a professor, a life-coach, a yoga teacher and a therapist (the other kind) and a physical therapist rolled into one. I guess sometimes one is just looking for that non-judgmental wise surrogate parent, grand-parent, tribal elder… that we no longer have in our modern society.
Love this shared by Judith:
“Nobody can say anything about you. Whatsoever people say is about themselves. But you become very shaky, because you are still clinging to a false center. That false center depends on others, so you are always looking to what people are saying about you. And you are always following other people, you are always trying to satisfy them. You are always trying to be respectable, you are always trying to decorate your ego. This is suicidal. Rather than being disturbed by what others say, you should start looking inside yourself…
When you are self-conscious you are in trouble. When you are self-conscious you are really showing symptoms that you don’t know who you are. Your very self-consciousness indicates that you have not come home yet.”
― Osho
So I guess that’s what it is… Hanging out with a great teacher is like … coming home 🙂 It’s a treat not to have to decorate our egos !
