“When you push the button for the elevator and it’s already there... ...ding.
— AWESOME!
When things happen and you aren’t expecting them to happen the way you anticipated, but they blow your mind at how amazing they feel?! Isn’t that awesome?!! Recently I’ve been delving into the book The Book of Awesome - by Neil Pasricha and it’s insights are playing right into my day to day experiences of life - in reality.
Today was one of those days for me. Well, to speak the truth, many of my days are pretty damned awesome really... but today in particular stands out for a big “awesome event”. I was slowly crawling out of bed at 5:30am to get myself ready and refreshed to teach a yoga class and then heading out into the darkened world at 6:30am... the cold world beckoned but also gave me a shudder... remembering how cozy and warm my bed was just a little while ago.
Stepping into the yoga studio with a smile on my face I was greeted by a classroom of students all prepared for their 7:45am yin... the energy level was... ummm... morning-ish. You know... the energy level where you some up, some down and some in between. My thoughts are always... where am I going to take these beautiful people in a 45 minute class that I would REALLY love to be flowing through a much longer and deeper 75 or 90 minute class. Tapping in and turning on my zenified music, filling my lungs with air and letting out a big sigh... we entered into a session of bliss.
I take my students through a series of ebb’n flow moves with a focus being the connection between the physical and the energetic levels of our selves. We twist, we turn we bend and fold, breathing softly through our noses and closing our eyes as we hold a pose for five minutes or more. But always my mind goes to the time limits of these shortened early morning sessions and I try and squeeze in an extra breath here or another minute there. It goes by so quickly and always feels like I’ve time-traveled from the moment I step on to the mat in the front of the room... really... it must be a magic carpet and no body told me to hang on.
As I had my amazing students in their asanas (poses), I sometimes drift into thought and meditation once I see everyone is comfortable and at ease. Today I was thinking about what will happen when I am done all of my subbing classes and I go back to “regular life”. I’ve been so busy this past few months with lots of subbing for traveling yogis... but they will eventually come back and re-insert themselves into the schedule maintained for them in their absence. But what... what am I going to do when the subbing comes to a close?!
At the end of class I finish with a heartfelt namaste and blessing to each and everyone of my students and bid them a wonderful weekend as they leave the class. To my utmost surprise I am greeted by a smiling yogini who introduces herself to me as the owner of a yoga studio that I recently applied to. She was so pleased to take my class and it was just what she needed. We sat for a brief tea and we talked about where I would fit into the new studio’s schedule and what her history was and the future of yoga in the Vancouver scene. WELL... to make a sweet story sweeter... I am happy to say that my teaching (which at times I can be a bit nervous about) shone through and I will be picking up some full-time classes at a new studio in town. ...and a made a new friend in the community. :)
— AWESOME!