Yoga! Day 8!

I have definitely, DEFINITELY learned not to expect ANYTHING, that expectations always shatter in the face of reality. Today, Greg shocked us into realizing this. Instead of our traditional Yoga class, we did something compeltely different, unexpected, and beautiful. I know it's something that I'll probably remember forever because I'm crying as I write this and think about it. So we were all instructed to stand on our mats facing forward with our eyes closed and our eyes down by our sides. Then, over the course of what was supposed to last an hour, we had to lift our arms up along our sides and eventually bring the overhead so that one palm met another. In the middle of the process, Greg told us to focus on our most painful experience and just be with it. How did we feel? Who was there? Who were we blaming? Who was hurting us? etc. etc. etc. It was another extremely emotional experience for a lot of people in the room. I found that all the painful experiences that came to my mind were ones that had to do with my parents not loving each other. When one parent hurt the other, this also hurt me more than anything else, more than any physical pain, more than the pain that my arms were feeling as the sloly levitated up along side me.

It only took about 30 minutes for everyone to experience that the exercise was supposed to allow us to experience. We all cried, alot. I found that I was crying not so much for myself, becuase of myself, but becuase of others. After it was over, we had to sit in two straight lines and just stare into the eyes of the person across from us. It was so beautiful. Your eyes are the windows to your soul. While I was looking deep, deep into the eyes of the person across from me I really, really felt their inner beauty, their inner light, their essence. But there was also that mystery. What is really going on inside this human being?

Then we had to sit in a big circle and trust each other fully and completely. We each had to stand up in the middle, look everyone in the eye, and sy" My name is ______ and what you don't know about me is ______." A deep, revealing secret. This really, really made me cry. I think that other's suffering has a bigger impact on me than my own suffering. During the arm exercise I was with my pain, I felt it, but it somehow seemed so distant and I was felt like I couldn 't really bring it to the forefront of my awareness. But seeing everyone reveal themselves, being with their saddness, their hurt, their suppressed secrets, really REALLY made me feel for them and for humanity.

Yoga is so cosmic! Life is so cosmic and we don't even realize it. you never know waht another person is going through, where they are holding their pain, their suffering, their hurt. Which is why, as teachers and as human beigns we have to always tread lightly into another person's sanctuary. I have a deep appreciation for everyone in this program.

In love,
Leila