Wholistic Fitness

Below is actual counsel from a local yogini who came to her first HP Yoga Class. She had been doing “Bikram Yoga” for some time, however, this was her first immersion into well, you know; the HP Yoga intensity of focus. Beginners will always Teach us by allowing us to revisit our own first encounter with Yoga so i have edited this actual exchange – the first of several i did with her for free – so that we can reaffirm our own Practice intent.

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Namaste Coach!
I must say, I was quite discouraged after my first class. I shook uncontrollably and was definitely the weakest one in the room.

COACH:
Most Noble Yogini,
the very first thing i want you to know about your Journey into yoga is that,
‘your yoga is YOUR yoga!’

the “shaking” comes from the amount of Prana or Life Force, hiting your untrained subtle anatomical vessels, known as ‘nadis.’ with continued Practice, the shaking will stop as your nadic fitness develops. hang in there!

What did i tell you before class?  “Do not compare!  Do not compete!”
Just pay strict attention to listening to the language of YOUR body, of YOUR breath!
You must come to your yoga mat with mind devoid of your past and future and enter the present…allow the 6,000 year-old Science of Yoga begin to work slowly and deeply;  do NOT let your EGO thwart the slow science of Transformation;   Trust in me to Guide you slowly, effectively, and safely. Most of all,  Trust in the Path…and just BREATHE!

YOGINI G:
I can see how your class is so wonderful for the athletically inclined.

COACH:
i have taught 83 year-olds this style.
i myself was in a wheelchair, paralyzed.
do not assume this style is just for the “athletically inclined”!
the name; High Performance Yoga
means;  Divine Action Union!

YOGINI G:
I wish I were more fit like that.

COACH:
you took ONE class!

quit the self pity right now, okay?
you are an infant in this Inner Work.
me too.
we help each other along the Way, okay?
just show up for class without expectation and allow this Proven Path to Elevate you!

YOGINI G:
I felt embarrassed – and I know we’re not supposed to be watching each other, and it’s our own thing, but I felt so self conscious.

COACH:
it will pass.
pay attention only to what matters most;   the WITHIN!

YOGINI G:
What I really liked was the savasana. I hadn’t been through such a powerful guided relaxation. Was that lavender you sprinkled in my face?

COACH:
well, i did not sprinkle it in your face…!  😉  yes, it was Lavender.  i just wafted it above your nose.

YOGINI G:
You are a strong presence and a powerful inspiration. I don’t know if you’ll see me again – and not for me not wanting to try. I think I’m too old and infirm.

COACH:
oh Jesus! oh Buddha…oh Lord Patanjali! 
get out the Violins for Yogini G!… 
stop that egoic bullshit and GET TO CLASS!    
NOTHING is more PRICELESS for your long term health of Self.
you will be VERY surprised at how fast you get stronger…i have been Teaching a looong time and trust me,  you have all the potential in the WORLD!  
do NOT GIVE UP; be a WARRIOR WITHIN and your whole family and life will respond in deep and powerful Ways!

YOGINI G:
Thank you so much for offering me the free class.

COACH:
do not thank me by your words;  thank me by coming and sweating with me!

YOGINI G:
I wish you well as you expand your class – I already referred a friend to you. He is a marathon runner and I know he would feel right at home.

COACH:
head bowed…however,
you are the One whose Soul is knocking and knows that our little Practice Cave is your Tribal Home!

see you next Tuesday…

tough love in the Way of the Ancients,

coach ilg

NEXT CORRESPONDENCE THE SAME DAY:

Alrighty, Coach, if you’re going to be THAT way about it –

I’ve been practicing Bikram Yoga since January, and I go 4 to 5 times a week. I thought I was strong. I felt strong. I know I’m flexible, but I don’t have the brute strength you people do. I’m not an athlete anymore – I used to run (knees are bad now), I taught aerobics for 10 years, I hiked a lot, etc. Then I had five children, went through serious health issues including severe depression and a total hysterectomy, my marriage is in trouble and I’m very vulnerable right now.

I’m not feeling sorry for myself, thank you very much. I’m just acknowledging my limits. I would love to believe I could progress in your class, but after Tuesday I felt extremely inadequate. I definitely felt the power in your class. I feel that maybe I need to get stronger in some other way before trying again. I do very much admire you and I have no doubt that what you say is true. I just feel like a weakling little kid right now. Not self pity! Just reality.

It’s weird, I feel like crying as I write this to you. I know you would be good for me. I know I need to go deeper into myself. I want to try. I’m afraid.

So there.
G

COACH RESPONDS:
Most Noble Yogini G –

cannot you See your denial weaving in and through your words to me?
you ARE feeling sorry for yourself!

and that is okay.

you co-created everything you are feeling now in order to…FEEL IT FULLY!
for countless lifetimes, according to the yogic view, you have been creating the circumstances of what you Feel right now, right here in your weak, imbalanced body and mind.
how many more lifetimes will you be content to keep this suffering?
that is up to you!

your difficult circumstances offer you karmic purification; you are living a Chakral Experience right now!

and guess what?

if you choose to Run Away and stay ‘comfortable’ in the pain, that is FINE!

in fact, you have infinite lifetimes to work out your karma (action).

in fact,  you can spend the rest of this precious lifetime feeling sorry for yourself and your Choices thus far.

however,
the Self changes with every breath!

you came to me not out of coincidence…

you came to me because you have Awakened and are now Re-Membering (with) Your Tribe!
you are HOME!!!

i doubt if there is anything you can bring into my Temple that i have not Seen. i am a feeble Messenger from a very Ancient Path of Mountain Yogis…
fortunately for you, My Noble Shishya, our Path is very, very flexible.
however, for me to help you,  you must do a very brave thing; 
Empty Thy Cup!

Trust in the Path.

i can offer you many Ways to facilitate the spiritual threshold you are on and it is a VERY POWERFUL and UNIQUE THRESHOLD that you SHOULD NOT run away from or it will just come around again,
and again, and again…ad infinitum.   

Now,  if you are TRULY READY to keep this Glorious Awakening moving Higher and soooooo utterly beautiful and Sacred,

you write me back and say, 
“Coach,  my Cup is Empty.  I am Here Now to Listen and allow myself to be Healed and grow Stronger and Higher.”

otherwise,
i will see you in class and love you for being who you are, where you are, and how you got Here Now…

namaste,

your lovingly fierce Teacher

ps;  you do not have a “bad” knee…trust me, your beautiful knee is doing the ABSOLUTE BEST she can!   why call her “bad”?   

ps 2;  you have made no mistakes.

ps 3;  that you feel like crying is not “weird.”  it is beautifully Natural when you have found a True Teacher that has no other motive than to Love Your Highest Self and help you move toward that Higher Self.

ps 4;  so Here!  

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EPILOGUE:
Unfortunately, even after complimenting her first class and spending at least an hour of my time with her in complimentary facilitation of her fears, i have yet to see her again in my class.

Perhaps, she will Step Up and enter the Steep and Direct Path sometime later.

Perhaps not. i must live with the fact that i did not have the Skillfulness to appropriately Guide her to the Light of Yoga.

And Yogini G is just one of many hundreds with whom i have ‘failed’ to Skillfully Guide. This is what i must live with in my Heart. this is why i am a Feeble teacher of such a tremendous Path That Awakens so many people so quickly. this is why i must Practice forgiveness for myself each and every day. this is why i must Trust that God knows how much i truly wish only to Help, only to Serve, only to be able to capably and Skillfully shine a Light during Kali Yuga.

May all beings be happy and know the causations of true Happiness.
May all beings be freed from (fundamental spiritual) ignorance and know the causations of ignorance.
May all beings use this precious human lifetime to Rise Higher, to Swim Upstream, to climb their toward their Highest Summit…

head bowed,
the mountain yogi

photos by world class photographer, Marc Romanelli near White Rock, New Mexico
#1: Trikonasana
#2: Vrkasana
#3: transition sequence involving Eka Pada Bujasana
#4: Garudasana