An ode of Gratitude to my colleagues

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 ✳︎ 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲

Two important heart qualities to practice always.

In the past year, both have been tested and amplified for me [and many of my fellow yoga teachers].

A lot of us teach, because we see, feel and experience; positive changes, growth and self mastery in our student (and in ourselves of course). It is something we witness in our interactions, face-to-face, with our students ~ to be a part of someone else’s transformation ~ that is rewarding beyond measure! THIS has been missing from our teaching life, when classes are thought online. And not being able to follow and support the students personally, is a huge shortage missing from our sacred WHY of teaching!

So we wait patiently, for the yoga studios to open [along with all the other things lots of us miss from our daily life] - it’s like the longest exhale ever, and leaning into the unknown uncontrollable circumstances is indeed a practice of patience 🌬

One of the highlights of the past many months [Goddess, it’s a YEAR!] has been my weekly online class at The Yoga Flat

Because [here is my gratitude contemplation]:

I get to go out my door and bike through the city and show up AT the studio, it give me stability and a sense of purpose and inspiration, that is harder to find these days, at my home.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 the main factor is: we’re always two teachers (one teaches, the other ‘models’ the practice). This has created a bond between my colleagues and I, that have grown in a way I haven’t experienced in my 13 year of teaching yoga [it can be a colleague lonely type of work to teach yoga, as you are never there at the same time, unless you show up to practice with another teacher- which can be difficult, if you teach a lot of classes through a week] ~ but like the saying there is nothing like a crisis that brings people together [or further apart - I think we all let go of some people this past year right?].

I am 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 for my close 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗲𝘀, who courageously SHOW UP to endlessly give and pure the nectar from their heart chamber - into a screen - praying that it makes a difference to the students receiving [we’re exaggerated grateful for our students too!!]. And to experience how we all show up, for each other and the students, dispiace many lost income, fall out of political categories of financial support and struggling in various ways to make ends meet, in our personal life-situation due to the challenging situation we’re all in as a collective, is amazing to witness and be a part of!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 we deepened this year, are one of the main factors for me being able to keep my sanity, stay on my path and having the energy to KEEP showing up!! The moments we have shared OFF the mat before and after teaching, has been priceless to me and through it all, it has been one of the greatest gifts this year and worth all the struggles we faced together in our work-field! This is true yoga to me 🙏🏽

𝗦𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀; 𝗜 𝗯𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲, 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 - may we continue to grow our bond in this magical way together, in support and love for the greater good of it all 𖦹