I am a full-time yoga instructor. It is how I make my living. I cannot even begin to express how satisfying it is to parlay something that you love passionately into a career, especially when that career brings you into intimate contact with so many bright, amazing souls who are seeking the light. Yeah, I know; I know how that sounds. I cringe sometimes when I hear myself .... but honestly, I've given up worrying about sounding hokey or sounding like that craycray yoga lady. When you speak from your heart, it DOES resonate with people. Even if on the surface level, it strikes one as a bit corny; at the deepest level, it strikes a chord.
And let's face it - those who come to their mats, ARE, in fact, seeking something BEYOND the physical body. Otherwise, they would continue to run marathons and lift weights and keep prepping for some type of zombie apocalypse.
The beautiful, amazing thing about yoga is this: it meets you wherever you are! Some people are at the very physical level, and they need a physically challenging, mind-numbing, exhaustingly vigorous yoga practice. That's exactly where I started my practice. I was working like a maniac in politics, kicking ass and taking names, smoking Newports, drinking enough vodka to anesthetize a small horse, popping Adderall in the morning and Xanax or Ambien each night, seeking physical pleasures, and overall keeping things at an extremely superficial level. Which is exactly why I recognize that student when he or she walks into the studio.
Some students are older or injured; they can't and/or simply don't want to be pushed to their physical edge. These students are seeking a slower, deeper practice that is healing and comforting and restorative. That's exactly where I find myself today. After years of burning it at both ends in my former career, it took teaching 20+ yoga classes each week to FORCE me to slow down and acknowledge my physical limitations. I've had a string of injuries the past year that have caused physical limitations to my practice, which has been far more mentally and emotionally challenging than actually losing my physical practice. But the lesson - yes, there is always a lesson - for the first time in YEARS, I've been kind and gentle and forgiving of myself. Which is why I am able to extend that kindness and gentleness to others.
One thing I've learned in my two years as a professional yoga instructor is that it is a breeze to teach a fast-paced vinyasa class to a room full of physically fit twenty-somethings. My challenge is to continue to develop my teaching skills to create a safe space for each person, regardless of physical limitations, to explore, stretch and grow. To restore and heal and nourish. And I'm not talking about their bodies.
I am so blessed to earn a living connecting with people on such a relevant level. The physical, mental and emotional are all part of ONE HUMAN BEING. Yoga teaches us to integrate each aspect of ourselves and be aware of how each part affects the other. When we create space in our physical body, it manifests off our mats. We learn to create space surrounding negative circumstances and situations in our lives so we can see them more clearly. We release emotional traumas that have debilitated our progress and growth. We gain confidence, self-acceptance, patience, joy, tolerance, gratitude, humility, strength and a killer ass. But the real benefit of our yoga practice is peace in our hearts. That sense of peace, contentment and stillness is far more potent and powerful than any drop of alcohol or heart medication. We get out of our heads and into our bodies where we learn to heal ourselves.
The biggest lesson that I have learned is that each one of us is perfect exactly as we are. We don't need to fix or change ANYTHING. We must only peel away the barriers and defenses mechanisms built by our own egos so that we can reveal our true masterpieces within. And that, my friend, is what yoga is all about.
Annica! Annica! Annica! Be happy! Be happy! Be happy!
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