The Art of Adjusting
This morning I began the first of a three day training on "The Art of Adjusting" with John Friend - the founder of Anusara Yoga - in Sarasota, Florida.
The venue is the Mote Center and we are practicing in a room surrounded by glass walls overlooking the bay. It is absolutely exquisite!
This event is being hosted by my first yoga teacher - Betsey Downing, a wonderful yogini who gave the most inspirational welcome and introduction. I have known her for 13 years and it has been a beauty to behold how she has blossomed as both a teacher and practitioner - always in search of deeper knowledge and growth with a beginner's mind.
It has also been wonderful to see old friends and be warmly embraced by the Sarasota Anusara community whom I had the pleasure of teaching and studying with on several occasions in the last couple of years.
We came together as a community on this first day and opened our hearts to one other. By the afternoon, even our chanting was so in sync.
I want to share some of my notes from John Friend's opening comments:
Teachers are often not trained on how to adjust - and sometimes can engage in adjustments that are actually harmful.
As teachers, we are here to serve our students' awakening and delight. This should be the essence of how we touch. It starts with remembering that we are here to serve - so that every glance of our eyes, every word we speak, is manifested in our touch and in our highest intention to serve our students. This experience also contributes to our awakening. It is such a blessing to be a teacher and to help our students in this way.
So we start with the highest intention and with soft sensitivity. We open to something bigger and we look for the beauty in our students and in how they express their poses. We recognize the magnificent embodiment of the spirit before us in the form of our students - and then we seek to enhance the beautiful expression of their pose.
We say to our students: "Let me help you awaken. But may you help me awaken as well!"
More tomorrow...
The venue is the Mote Center and we are practicing in a room surrounded by glass walls overlooking the bay. It is absolutely exquisite!
This event is being hosted by my first yoga teacher - Betsey Downing, a wonderful yogini who gave the most inspirational welcome and introduction. I have known her for 13 years and it has been a beauty to behold how she has blossomed as both a teacher and practitioner - always in search of deeper knowledge and growth with a beginner's mind.
It has also been wonderful to see old friends and be warmly embraced by the Sarasota Anusara community whom I had the pleasure of teaching and studying with on several occasions in the last couple of years.
We came together as a community on this first day and opened our hearts to one other. By the afternoon, even our chanting was so in sync.
I want to share some of my notes from John Friend's opening comments:
Teachers are often not trained on how to adjust - and sometimes can engage in adjustments that are actually harmful.
As teachers, we are here to serve our students' awakening and delight. This should be the essence of how we touch. It starts with remembering that we are here to serve - so that every glance of our eyes, every word we speak, is manifested in our touch and in our highest intention to serve our students. This experience also contributes to our awakening. It is such a blessing to be a teacher and to help our students in this way.
So we start with the highest intention and with soft sensitivity. We open to something bigger and we look for the beauty in our students and in how they express their poses. We recognize the magnificent embodiment of the spirit before us in the form of our students - and then we seek to enhance the beautiful expression of their pose.
We say to our students: "Let me help you awaken. But may you help me awaken as well!"
More tomorrow...
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