One of my guiding principles in how I live my life is to go toward what is life enhancing rather than what is life diminishing. When I have to make a decision it comes into play. I chose to be a Yoga Teacher and a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist because I believed that more than anything else I wanted to help people uncover the mysteries in their lives, be in a true relationship with themselves and to enjoy their lives as fully as possible.
There is a sanskrit word, ahimsa, which means “non harming”. Classically this is thought to be about non violence, but more than that it is about doing no harm in any way. A person who practices ahimsa fully, would not hurt any living thing, would not harm the environment. And to take it even further one would watch their words and be careful of speech. So, if I want to embrace what is life enhancing and non harming I would be careful not to gossip, or criticize. I would look for the highest in people and in situations. AND, I would be careful of how I think and speak to myself.
In Biodynamic Craniosacral therapy I have learned that what we put our attention on magnifies. In a craniosacral session a client might feel some discomfort from a current or past injury or trauma. If all the attention is put on the site of pain it will usually hurt more. But if the client is held in a certain way and encouraged to also find an uplifting thought or a pleasant sensation in their bodies and put most of their awareness there, the painful area will soften and reorganize and move more toward health and generally not returning or at least not returning at the level of pain that was there.
As a yoga teacher I look what what the student is doing well. Even the most beginning student or someone with physical issues has something good to look for. Maybe it’s enthusiasm, or dedication. Once the best is discovered, refinements can be made. If we label ourselves as stiff or uncoordinated or too old or any number of limiting adjectives, our yoga practice will struggle under the weight of that. I find that what is life enhancing is to praise the effort in myself and others. The thing that pleases me most in a student is the willingness to just keep showing up and doing the best that they can. Ultimately we are more than this body, this individual. We are a manifestation of the Divine.
I’ve always love the way you close our time together………..
MAY EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE BE FREE OF PAIN AND SUFFERING,
RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN DIVINITY,
AND LIVE WITH EASE OF HEART………..NAMASTE