Feliz Cumpleaños, a mi!
Today I woke up to several texts from different friends/students wishing me a happy birthday. My beloved portly kitties where beside me purring, as if singing. And of course, my mother's phone call brought me completely unto the waking state. Her call comes early in the morning, every year without fail. I pick up the phone half-asleep and hear her voice singing all the way from Puerto Rico. I spoke to dad who was so sweet and later to my brother, my best friend and got tons of emails. And it's 8:30AM. How great is that? I missed my grandmother Abi's call which usually was the first one. It's been a year and a month since her passing. I will always miss her.
Yesterday at BD TT the students walked in with green tea ice cream and a birthday candle and sang for me. We had a great session. At the end of the session they asked me to close my eyes and gave me the most beautiful mala beads ever. I plan to wear them for the rest of my life, as a symbol of how I carry them in my heart.
Yesterday's session was beyond my wildest dreams. It was my last time with them and I was supposed to watch them teach seated poses. I wanted them to teach from their hearts and to realize that they have all the knowledge and insight within them. So I came up with this exercise where I had someone do a seated pose, say Janu Sirsasana, on one side and speak out loud as if they were practicing it on their own in their house:
"Ok, Janu Sirsasana. My right leg is forward, left leg back. I take an inhale to create more length, then I twist over my right leg and exhale. I hold the outer edge of shin and bow. I have to spread my toes to energize my legs and hold the middle. Breathe. I feel the tightness in my left side body. As I inhale I can lengthen more and as I exhale and I go deeper in the twist. If I use my hands to press the floor away from me, I can deepen the pose..."
Then I had the student get up and teach the other side, not from memorizing a bunch of facts from the pose, but rather from just inhabiting it, and sharing what was real for them. What I noticed is that every single one of their teaching was coming from a real place, from a true place of connection with the pose and real sharing. It was such an honor to witness it and I hope that we all remember that we have it all within us and to trust our personal experience in the poses, and courageously share.
I am off to take my best friend Jenny's yoga class. It should be fun. Then I'm having a little birthday brunch with close friends. At some moment I hope to meditate and take it all in and be in a place of gratitude for my life in this world.
Feliz, feliz en tu dia, Maria Cristina! May it be filled with love and light.
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Sorry this is a late "Happy Birthday". Hope your day was great, and that I'll see you sometime soon!
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