Thursday, November 25, 2010
GRATITUDE
At the risk of sounding mushy, Thanksgiving seems like an appropriate day to give gratitude. Ashtanga yoga continues to change my life and for that I am so grateful. It didn't happen over night and it certainly hasn't happened without much struggle both physically and emotionally, but as the years have passed, I feel changes taking place. And for that, I have faith that the system works. I only had the opportunity to practice with Guruji once back in 2006. I was still fairly new to ashtanga and went to New York for Guruji's tour. The sanskrit word "guru" means heavy and even at 90 years old, you could feel Guruji's presence the minute he entered the room. The trip had a profound effect on me. I returned to Richmond and three months later, opened Ashtanga Yoga Richmond. I wanted to practice in a space that was dedicated to ashtanga and create a community to share the experience with. I must first give thanks to my dear friend and first teacher, Rob Miller for introducing me to ashtanga yoga and nurturing my devotion to the practice. I am also grateful to Michael Hamilton for sharing his knowledge and teaching experience with me so that I could continue to grow the mysore program at AYR. I am eternally grateful to my teachers, Lino Miele and Sharath Rangaswamy for teaching me the method. I continue to study with both teachers and feel that they both offer a deep connection to the source......Guruji. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences on my personal path, however, AYR would not be what it is today without the teachers and the students who support it. I would first like to extend my appreciation to Kyra. I am fairly certain our paths crossed by some divine intervention and I know I couldn't do this without her. She is a great friend, mentor, listener and the list goes on and on. I am also deeply appreciative to all of our teachers for their commitment and dedication to teaching and to the students who continue to show up and make our studio a "community". Finally, I would like to say thank you to my family...Jared, Haley and Izzy for supporting me. I know our life is sometimes not the "norm"... early mornings, extended trips to India, yoga, yoga, yoga. I am so grateful for each of you. Have a wonderful holiday!
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Hey Ashtanga Yoga Richmond and Alicia,
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving! Thank you for welcoming me to your school and yoga community -- you make all the difference during my regular stays in Richmond.
I am thankful for my practice and all that it has brought me. On a recent trip to Stockholm, I caught up with an old friend from London, who has since abandoned his practice. It seems that ashtanga yoga became such a huge part of his life that he needed to reject it completely to re-assert control over his destiny.
On the long flight back to New Jersey, I kept thinking about how my friend had shifted from one extreme to another. I am thankful that after many years, I have been able to integrate my daily practice in such a way that it enhances my life without taking it over. It is one of the things I need to do to become a lead a fuller life -- not the only thing.
I am mostly thankful for my family, my health and the many opportunities life has brought to me. I am thankful that I can still bend my back at my age too...
Thank you again Ashtanga Yoga Richmond!
Michael