Then I talked about the sound of Om and all that it carries within it. They seemed particularly taken with how the Om relates to the four states of consciousness. They also loved how the Om symbolizes beginnings, middles and end. I encouraged them to think of the Om as their own life, since right now something is beginning in our lives, something is sustaining them and something is ending. I encouraged them to contemplate on that whenever they sing the Om. It will make the sound and the experience of signing it more meaningful.

Lastly, we ended with about an hour of restorative yoga. We did some sitting, some stretching, and then three poses: Legs up the wall, Supta Baddha Konasana and Savasana. We were in each pose about 12-15 minutes and I could see the energy in the room become deeper and more calm. Some people feel asleep, some people had a powerful emotional release, some said they felt really good. One student,  a dear sweet young woman, told me she finally was able to cry and let go. She was deeply thankful and we hugged for a long time. Restorative is becoming one of my most important practices to both do and teach. It is remarkable how it affects people. It is sublime practice of being held by the great Mother! And resting in that support.

I'm honored each time I'm asked to teach and try to do my best! I'm so excited to be part of a training that manages to join different styles of Hatha Yoga in profound harmony and respect for each other. I think as yogis often we feel that the style we do is the "best" and we can at times help create even more separation between each other. To focus instead on the ways in which we are alike is so important and healthy.