Everyday for 15 years I have ‘taken my seat’ – that turning inward where, at long last I am at ease in this body and this moment. Before yoga there was constant pain and strife. These years with yoga practice, the ‘real’ me continually emerges and recedes and then emerges again only to be obscured by this event or that not-so-great choice and so on and so forth. Right now after 10 hours of Anusara Yoga study with Noah Maze my heart is completely full of gratitude. There is vast appreciation for the opportunity to study high level asana with a great teacher in wonderful company. But it is even more poignant than that. The physical practice has always been a portal into the deeper realms of meaning and importance in my life. My actions on the mat are metaphorical, for they teach me how to live and carry on with integrity in the active external world of relationships, family, work, community, and creativity. Today Noah invited us to a ‘courageous endeavor into our full potential’. Those of us who accepted the invitation, were blessed with skillfully designed and brilliantly articulated physical practices that ultimately led us to distinctly embody the gratitude that is our hearts true essence. What’s so interesting to me is that my favorite parts of today’s practices were those humbling poses that directly address the places in my body that are most vulnerable from old injury. These are the poses that I normally avoid for various reasons and excuses like pain, fear, anxiety, anger, and hubris to name a few. Today, these modified yet super challenging variations were my ‘payoff’ poses. And tonight the overwhelming gratitude for everything in my life -even and especially the aspects that aren’t picture-perfect are what I honor as my utterly valuable treasures. Dhanyavaad Yoga! And heartfelt humble appreciation to family, teachers, students, and friends who support this path.
Namaste & Dhanyavaad (Thank You)
-Melanie Buffett writes YogiPod Blog. Posting from somewhere on the Path.
Location:Jackson Mississippi