In life there exists a profound paradox: we often find ourselves teaching what we also need to learn. Undoubtedly, this is why I decided to become a yoga instructor. I am already a successful fundraising consultant and I'm in my 50's. I don't need to teach yoga, or do I?
As we navigate the complexities of our own existence, we gather insights, lessons, and truths that shape our understanding of the world and our place within it. Yet, in our pursuit of knowledge and growth, we discover that the most profound revelations often arise when we share our wisdom with others. I've been told I was "bossy" when I was a child. My mother and I laugh at the examples we both conjure up to support this notion - from making my friends sign a friendship contract and adhere to rules about not quarrelling to having my friends sit down and watch me roll play as a meteorologist. Yet I think I simply wanted to be in the front of the room. I wanted to be heard and I didn't have the skill set to instruct 7-year-olds as, well, a 7-year-old.
Have you ever stood beyond the threshold of your comfort zone and crossed it for the benefit of others? It's scary! Teaching is a profound act of courage, vulnerability, and humility. It requires us to confront our own limitations, biases, and insecurities, and to embrace the inherent wisdom that emerges from our shared human experience. In doing so, we harness the power of connection, collaboration, and collective wisdom to navigate the complexities of life with grace, resilience, and authenticity.
Next weekend I am first batter up for a group instruction yoga class. As the teacher who will set the stage for our 90-minute class, I have chosen the theme vistāra, which refers to expansion or reaching for one’s highest potential, so defining it as stretching to reach beyond what one might consider one’s limits. Our teaching group will incorporate the vistāra or "limitless expanse" into our lesson. We all have different life experiences and are at different stages of our life and yet we are expanding past our comfort zones to teach what we are learning - from Sanskrit to extended side angle stretch (utthita parsvakonasana). As we enter the space at the front of them room, each of us will break beyond our own limitations and put those pesky saboteurs in our minds at bay.
In the limitless expanse of life, we are all free to dream without constraints, to pursue our passions with unwavering determination, and to challenge ourselves to reach new heights of achievement. It's a space where creativity knows no bounds, where innovation thrives, and where the impossible becomes possible.
But amidst this boundless freedom, there also lies a sense of responsibility—to ourselves, to others, and to the world around us. Our actions have the power to shape the course of our journey and the lives of those we encounter along the way. It's a reminder that while the possibilities may be infinite, our time here is finite. And so, we must seize each moment, cherish each experience, and embrace the beauty of the journey, knowing that every step we take is a brushstroke on the canvas of our lives.
In the end, the true beauty of the limitless expanse lies not only in the vastness of its potential but in the depth of our connection to it—to each other, to the world, and to ourselves. For it is in these connections that we find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment, transforming the limitless expanse into a tapestry of love, compassion, and shared humanity.
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