When I first began taking yoga classes, I attended the same teacher's class every week. Her name was Ani. She was Sivanada trained and every class ran through pretty much the same poses, with slight variations - or the opportunity to evolve them into more advanced asana. Her classes were magical and at the end of the hour and a half session I always felt calm, clear, relaxed and amazing. Beyond that I felt an extreme sense of accomplishment as the repetition allowed me to mark my progress in my practice, something the dancer in me appreciated immensely. It was just what I needed in my life at that time, and maybe that is where the attachment came from. You see, after months of my religious attendance in her class, Ani moved away. Another teacher took over her class, and another after that, but none of them made me feel the same. And in my little yogini soul I pined for Ani to return.
Fast forward to now and I look back and fully agree that a good dose of yoga philosophy and a lesson in non-attachment was needed. But at the time, I didn't realize the problem was me. I thought that those other teachers just didn't "have it" the way Ani did. In hindsight, I was so closed off to experiencing a different kind of class that I missed out on the gifts and talents those other teachers had to offer.
This isn't an easy thing to overcome. But if we want our practice to evolve, we have to do it. Each teacher brings a unique set of talents to the table. A unique background, life-experience, language, training, body and style. As students we can embrace, experience and learn from them or we can focus on how we like so-and-so's class better - a good waste of yoga time if you ask me.
Eventually I got over my perceived need for the classes to be a certain way. In essence I got out of my head and out of my own way and allowed myself to experience yoga every time I got on my mat. Thank goodness. Have you ever had, or are you having, an experience like this with your practice? What about other areas of your life?
Fast forward to now and I look back and fully agree that a good dose of yoga philosophy and a lesson in non-attachment was needed. But at the time, I didn't realize the problem was me. I thought that those other teachers just didn't "have it" the way Ani did. In hindsight, I was so closed off to experiencing a different kind of class that I missed out on the gifts and talents those other teachers had to offer.
This isn't an easy thing to overcome. But if we want our practice to evolve, we have to do it. Each teacher brings a unique set of talents to the table. A unique background, life-experience, language, training, body and style. As students we can embrace, experience and learn from them or we can focus on how we like so-and-so's class better - a good waste of yoga time if you ask me.
Eventually I got over my perceived need for the classes to be a certain way. In essence I got out of my head and out of my own way and allowed myself to experience yoga every time I got on my mat. Thank goodness. Have you ever had, or are you having, an experience like this with your practice? What about other areas of your life?
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