CHANGE and BHUMI'S YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

How many of us (be honest now!) might be described by this personal ad?  “Creature of habit, skilled at avoiding self-awareness, full of untested assumptions about my potential- seeks more of the same”.

Well, I’m willing to raise my hand and ‘fess up.  Change has never been a welcome guest in my home.  Sure, I can adjust, tolerate and accommodate.  But when was the last time I actually embraced change?  Give it some thought.  Do you pursue change in your life?  Or do you let it happen to you?

Now, I’m not talking about a new car every two years, or a new job every five.  In fact, that kind of pattern of change might be something to change in itself.  What would you learn if you kept that car for ten years instead of two?  What internal strengths might you need to draw on to stay at that job for fifteen years instead of five?

Change, and resistance to change, comes in all shapes and sizes.  The first step toward welcoming change in your life is to simply become aware of the opportunities in change.  The next step is to become aware of the strength of your resistance.

I took a step toward embracing change when I decided to enroll in Bhumi’s 2004 Yoga Teacher Training (YTT.)  I didn’t realize it at the time; I thought I was only taking an opportunity to learn a little bit more about yoga.  And I certainly did experience many aspects of yoga practice.  I met 15 wonderful yoginis, and shared with them the ups and downs of a year’s worth of YTT study.  I sat at the feet of a generous teacher and absorbed all I could of the knowledge she shared with us.

But what I didn’t anticipate was the change that YTT would bring to my life.  (No, Mom and Dad, I’m not going to quit my day job and join an ashram!)  My YTT experience laid out a garden seeded with subtle and powerful ideas... that the universe requires, and deserves, my full participation… that no part of my body can be made stronger than my open heart… that it matters when I am mindful of the food I eat and the words I use… that my choices can change how I see the world… and that the world will change as a result of my choices.

I admit, it’s a big garden.  And the seedlings of these ideas are just uncurling themselves out of the rich soil of my yoga experiences.  But my year with YTT gave me the vision to see the life-long joy I will receive in tending this garden.  On the mat and off the mat, yoga is changing my life.

Hmm.  I guess I don’t need that personal ad after all!