Friday, June 16, 2006

Saving Grace

Often times I talk about my experiences with Yoga - more often as a teacher than a student.

Wednesday afternoon, I realised I need to re-charge my batteries and return to the fold of my teacher's den. The 'issue' with going out there often is that in order to make it to the 6 PM class I have to leave before 5 PM so that means getting home as soon as possible after work, and getting changed to make it there with all the rush hour traffic. It becomes more than an hour drive. But I knew at least this night I had to try to make it to class. I don't want to say it was a matter of life and/or death but I felt as if I desperately needed to go...

I was trained/schooled and became a full blown student of Yoga through the Spiritual Life Society and Yoga Center in Hudson, Ohio. The teachers there are Larry Terkel and Matt Lerner. They are in a word wonderful. Each has his own special way of teaching a class. Combined, they have close to (or possibly more than) 50 years of experience with Yoga. I am very blessed and very lucky to have found them.

Wednesday nights are Larry's classes. This is an intermediate class. It will kick your butt. Seriously. I showed up at class and there were a couple of 'graduates' from the teacher training program there. We greeted each other and asked after each other - I kept my mouth shut about the turmoil in my life.

When Larry entered the room everyone prepared for his class - I could sense that a lot of the students had been coming for a while - there were only 2 newcomers in a class of some 20 people. Larry has a 'way' there is no other means to describe his teaching methods. You at once feel welcomed and safe. He commands a great deal of respect and it is very much warranted, the guy knows what he is doing.

When he noticed myself and the other Yoga teacher 'graduate' Charlie he told the class we were there - I felt a bit like a visiting dignitary. I was also wondering if I could get through the class. It had been a while since I was in the presence of my teacher and his classes have never been 'easy'. Not only did I feel I got through the class I flowed through it - like a river to it's source. It was beautiful. When it came time for the deep relaxation at the end of the class I found myself crying, cleansed a bit of the problems I was dealing with. Tears were streaming from the sides of my eyes. I wasn't actually sobbing, but I was definitely crying. They did not seem like tears of sorrow or sadness, more like tears of acceptance of the grace of 'knowing'... I don't know how else to explain...perhaps it was because most of the class centered around the mula bhanda (or root lock) located at the base of our bodies, between the anus and the peritoneum. This is where we all hold a lot of fear and perhaps it was the release of all of that pent up fear that was causing me to cry.

Usually after Larry's class there is a lecture. The lectures are always interesting and uplifting. Larry himself is now a very accomplished speaker and he even has his own website - he is a published author and you can find his information
HERE .

This night, however we were going to have a lecture from a Swamiji (a holy man/preacher/monk) and he is affiliated with a holy man that Larry and Matt know personally (whom I met years ago and indeed felt that I was in the presence of a very holy individual). This man was much younger - he entered the room in a rustle of orange/saffron coloured robes and smelled of rose incense - his countenance was one of joy and peace. He was really quite interesting, very funny, and trying (I felt) a bit too hard as well as being very redundant. But, nonetheless it was good to meet him and to see all these people listening intently to him as well. His message was simple and loving. That we ARE divine. That we are all part of a whole. That we should all meditate and be at peace. Lovely.

I secured a hug from Larry before I left and I plan to go back as soon as possible to enjoy his class again. I also realised I need to find a Yoga class for myself to help stay strong and balanced and I need to try to get back to meditation every day too for the same reasons. It's sort of like how a therapist needs to be seen by a therapist so they remain whole and centered and sane. I am very much in need of all of that in my life...I think we all are...

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