Today is one of my favorite writer's, Elizabeth Gilbert's birthday. She is the author of the much beloved book, Eat, Pray, Love and another book that I love called The Last American Man. She's such a brilliant mind, so inspiring. She has this great quote that I find is so appropriate for us yogis, which reminds me of the niyamas: tapas and isvara pranidhana. 

Here it is:

I find that so often after I teach -whether it is a private or a group class- I flagellate myself on the way home: "I should have done this; this could have been better; why can't I teach like so-and-so..." And instead, to learn how to reflect back on my work with love. To look back at what I did and surrender the fruits of my work, while still noting if I could've done something better. To forgive myself even while learning from my mistakes... So important.

Today I taught a private class, a new client whom I met yesterday. She has sciatica on her right leg, which most likely results from her right femur head protruding forward (that is, the right femur head protrudes forward; the right psoas tightens; this causes the upper rotators to tighten; amongst them the piriformis, which when tight, can compress the sciatic nerve...).  We worked both yesterday and today on getting her thighs back in different poses. She said she felt better and was really grateful.

However, today as I was observing her going through her Ardha Surya Namaskar, I noticed that her left pelvis was rolling forward. And I did one of these double-takes and realized that yes, she's having sciatica on her right side but I cannot just assume that that's it. One must always look at the body and assess what else is happening. I realized that her left hip was rolling forward- as well as her left shoulder- and I almost missed it with my enthusiasm for thinking I had "solved" her pain-problem. 

So the lesson today for me was to not just hear someone say that they have "sciatica on the right leg" and immediately assume that it means only that the right femur needs to go back. But to step back, to see the whole picture, to look at the client as a whole and not just parts. To always stay open to what else is going on. To keep stepping back and seeing the whole picture.

And for us yoga teachers to know that we doing our best. To keep showing up, to keep sharing these life affirming teachings and stay open, loving and forgiving as we continue to learn from our students.

May we continue to grow as teachers, study from all teachers, take workshops, go to retreats, keep reading, meditating, practicing, and all the while be loving to ourselves, kind, forgiving.