John reminded us over and over that every single day is precious. To not take it for granted, to not take other's for granted. To not take our practice for granted. To do our best every single day- 100%. Every day we will do our best and we will hit the boundary of our potential. And by going to our edge constantly, our ability to hold shakti expands and grows. So all that we will do is the best we can!

In the teachings of the poses, especially in the morning session he kept comparing Kali to Lakshmi- Kali being raw power and Lakshmi to those final stages of the pose when you are holding the pose and continuing to expand the light. He told the teachers in the room that one simple instruction that would have the students honor the goddess was to simply say: "smile."

Some quotes from John:

"Give it your all!" 

"Go out like the sunset!"

"Play the edge by maintaining the integrity of the 3 A's."

"If you do the best you can, you are growing every day."

"When you are seeing something beautiful, you are seeing the divine."

Speaking of playing the edge this mornings' poses included: tons of Urdhvas, Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasanas, Headstand drop overs, Valakhilyasana, Natarajasana, Mandalasana, Urdhva Kukutasana and other strange poses that I attempted with a smile and came out quickly. 

The demo's were beautiful. I've noticed that after all these years of studying and teaching Anusara, my relationship to the demo's has changed and grown with time. Before I used to compare a lot and go into that dark place of "Oh I'm not good enough...I will never be able to do that...look at her, she probably was a gymnast, there's no way I can do that..." 

Now when I watch my fellow yogis demoing a pose I feel like I am them and that I am with them every step of the way. I learn from the way they do the pose. And when they get praised, it is my triumph as well- it is as if I got praised. In fact, one of my biggest learning experiences has been watching Sianna Sherman and Darren Rhodes demo poses, and seeing the way they approach their pose.

So today I was called to demo. Yep, it happened. There's nothing like John calling you to demo, and out of all workshops at the Advanced Intensive! It becomes surreal. As soon as he called my name I started to chant my mantra even more and didn't stop. I smiled and nodded as he called the pose (Sirsasana 2 to Eka Pada Galavasana). I get really nervous whenever John asks me to demo and when I get nervous, I rush. So I found myself starting to rush and I paused and softened to the Goddess. John very sweetly praised that. I went up and attempted to do the pose and at the end I couldn't quite do it. I was smiling and felt good regardless. John was very sweet and told me to try it from standing- I never felt diminished, in fact, I felt like I did really good and that everyone in that room was cheering for me. I tried the pose again and it went beautifully! Then John had me stand up and said really complimentary things about me. I was shaking and smiling and he said something like "that Maria Cristina she is always smiling, all the time, even in times when she is in pain." Afterwards I thought, "my god how does he know that? It's true! That's how I am!"  

I felt so proud to have been asked to demo and to have been seen by my beloved teacher. I know that I couldn't have done that without watching year after year so many graceful yogis, literally year after year: Sianna, Darren, Kenny, Tanya, my God, too many to name.

I will continue to watch and learn not only from John but from how Lakshmi shows up in my fellow yogis.

And now it's time for TV watching to balance all the spirituality.

Tomorrow I'm volunteering for the Mixed Level so we have to be there by 7am and then I'm taking the Intermediate/Advanced workshop. More tomorrow!