Last night I felt sick. That kind of sick feeling you get when you've worked out a lot and had enough. I'd been taking a lot of intense Vinyasa classes - 2 yesterday, plus 4 hours of driving in major traffic. The last time I felt this way was the year I worked with a personal trainer 3 days a week. He pushed me and my body was sculpting and looking great. But one day I just looked at him and told him I couldn't do it any more - I had had enough. He said he understood and that a lot of athletes when they train get to that point. Well, lucky for me, I was not an athlete and so I quit.
When I woke up today (much earlier than I had planned to), I was feeling much better. I wasn't too tired for 6:30 am. I told myself today was going to be a busy day, but with a much different bend to the style of classes that I was taking. Plus, I was staying more local to home. And so, I got up, got showered and dressed and headed out for my day.
My first stop is a little studio in Cherry Hill called Yoga for Living. The owner, Rhonda Clarke, is a wonderful woman. Every Tuesday morning from 8-9 am you can come and chant and meditate with her for free! I thought, why not? I need a little chanting right about now and I headed out. The traffic was light just before rush hour and I got there just before she did. There was only one other woman there this morning to chant, but we headed in anyway.
Yoga for Living is located on the lower level of a small building off Greentree Rd. It reminded me of One Yoga, coming in and heading below the ground! The studio was dark, but very nicely decorated. We sat down and Rhonda brought out her harmonium and started to lead us through a call and response of "Om Namah Shivaya," which she had written in English and Sanskrit all around the yoga room. I don't know how long we chanted, but it was quite a while. When we finished chanting, Rhonda gave left us with a thought to ponder for meditation, a quote from Swami Muktananada:
"The knowledge of his own true nature is the source of a yogi's contentment."
"Hmm," I wondered, "What IS my own true nature?" Immediately I was flooded with images of my yoga students in the studio, happy and feeling fine. I thought to myself, "I'm a yoga teacher." It may sound obvious, but there are moments when one wonders if that is one's true calling or not, as I sometimes do. I was then struck with an image of an old boss of mine, Mr. Trout. He was a mentor of mine from my corporate days and had passed away suddenly one day. I was heartbroken about his passing and I hadn't thought of him for a long time. Mr. Trout (I never called him Tom), ruled with an iron first, but was soft and gooey on the inside. He used to affectionately call me, "Snot Nosed Kid," which may not sound affectionate, but was his way of being endearing. And, in all truth, I was a snot nosed kid. I had started working for him in college, he promoted me after I graduated, and I had worked for him through my 20's...through my drinking, partying, relationship crazed 20's. Now that I think back, I think that "Snot Nosed Kid" was probably a lot nicer of a name than what he could have called me.
I smiled and began to tear up. I missed my old boss. I missed a lot of people that had passed on too early - close friends of mine and family. When I stop to think about it, it seems that the people that have meant the most to me over the years have left this world suddenly. Sometimes I think I can feel them around me - sometimes I think I'm making that up just for comfort. I was suddenly struck with the image of a student and friend of mine who often makes off-color remarks and acts like a child. And I thought, "She is my Snot-Nosed-Kid." And I was comforted.
My meditation took me to a swarm of ideas for my yoga studio and I wasn't quite sure if I was meditating or thinking - often a struggle of mine. So, I just tried to sit back and watch the movie that was playing in my mind.
After class Rhonda and I talked about putting some events together. She is a lovely, intuitive woman that I'd love to work with in some way, and I'm sure that I will. I purchased a mala necklace (not that I need anther one, but the black onyx & carnelian beads were calling me) and headed out for my next class, happy that I took the time to get up earlier than I had anticipated.
Namaste.
When I woke up today (much earlier than I had planned to), I was feeling much better. I wasn't too tired for 6:30 am. I told myself today was going to be a busy day, but with a much different bend to the style of classes that I was taking. Plus, I was staying more local to home. And so, I got up, got showered and dressed and headed out for my day.
My first stop is a little studio in Cherry Hill called Yoga for Living. The owner, Rhonda Clarke, is a wonderful woman. Every Tuesday morning from 8-9 am you can come and chant and meditate with her for free! I thought, why not? I need a little chanting right about now and I headed out. The traffic was light just before rush hour and I got there just before she did. There was only one other woman there this morning to chant, but we headed in anyway.
Yoga for Living is located on the lower level of a small building off Greentree Rd. It reminded me of One Yoga, coming in and heading below the ground! The studio was dark, but very nicely decorated. We sat down and Rhonda brought out her harmonium and started to lead us through a call and response of "Om Namah Shivaya," which she had written in English and Sanskrit all around the yoga room. I don't know how long we chanted, but it was quite a while. When we finished chanting, Rhonda gave left us with a thought to ponder for meditation, a quote from Swami Muktananada:
"The knowledge of his own true nature is the source of a yogi's contentment."
"Hmm," I wondered, "What IS my own true nature?" Immediately I was flooded with images of my yoga students in the studio, happy and feeling fine. I thought to myself, "I'm a yoga teacher." It may sound obvious, but there are moments when one wonders if that is one's true calling or not, as I sometimes do. I was then struck with an image of an old boss of mine, Mr. Trout. He was a mentor of mine from my corporate days and had passed away suddenly one day. I was heartbroken about his passing and I hadn't thought of him for a long time. Mr. Trout (I never called him Tom), ruled with an iron first, but was soft and gooey on the inside. He used to affectionately call me, "Snot Nosed Kid," which may not sound affectionate, but was his way of being endearing. And, in all truth, I was a snot nosed kid. I had started working for him in college, he promoted me after I graduated, and I had worked for him through my 20's...through my drinking, partying, relationship crazed 20's. Now that I think back, I think that "Snot Nosed Kid" was probably a lot nicer of a name than what he could have called me.
I smiled and began to tear up. I missed my old boss. I missed a lot of people that had passed on too early - close friends of mine and family. When I stop to think about it, it seems that the people that have meant the most to me over the years have left this world suddenly. Sometimes I think I can feel them around me - sometimes I think I'm making that up just for comfort. I was suddenly struck with the image of a student and friend of mine who often makes off-color remarks and acts like a child. And I thought, "She is my Snot-Nosed-Kid." And I was comforted.
My meditation took me to a swarm of ideas for my yoga studio and I wasn't quite sure if I was meditating or thinking - often a struggle of mine. So, I just tried to sit back and watch the movie that was playing in my mind.
After class Rhonda and I talked about putting some events together. She is a lovely, intuitive woman that I'd love to work with in some way, and I'm sure that I will. I purchased a mala necklace (not that I need anther one, but the black onyx & carnelian beads were calling me) and headed out for my next class, happy that I took the time to get up earlier than I had anticipated.
Namaste.
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