Little did I know how much of a treat yoga class at Yoga Vida would be today. I was happy to see that my instructor Kaley, had returned from being away 3 weeks assisting with the Africa Yoga Project's Seva Safari teacher training for disadvantaged youth. The intention of the training was to help create opportunities for yogis in South Africa to step into their greatness and become self-sustaining leaders in their communities.
Kaley's classes are known for being energized by the perfect balance of power and love that she radiates when teaching yoga. Today that balance of power and love was magnified with a special kind of energy that Kaley's presence brought into the room and for us during our practice. At the end of class when it was time for Shavasana (corpse pose), I felt relieved to finally lay down, relax, and rejuvenate my body, mind, and spirit.
With awareness of my chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath, Kaley began to share these words, “I have always thought that Guru was a word to describe someone who brings forth light, but recently I met a woman in Africa who said that to her Guru meant remover of darkness. For me, this is like yoga. Yoga works to peel off and remove layers of energy so that we are able to tap into our deepest self, where we hold our light and our truth. The exhales remove the darkness and the inhales embody the light.”
She then asked us to imagine that our breath was a color and to then visualize sending this breath out to Texas, the 50 states, and all across the world. She stated that sending this breath out into the world had the potential to heal, create oneness, and even change things on a more global level. Engaging in this mindful exercise, I immediately felt a sense of love, power, unity, and spirit pour over me and when opening my eyes, I felt tears streaming down my sweaty face.
What came next was an incredible sense of warmth and peace as I continued to soak in Shavasana while feeling amazing gratitude for being led to her class today. Kaley pleasantly surprised me as I felt her sharing her Africa experience with all of us in that moment on a spiritual level. She was able to bring in the growth and love she experienced into our NOW to help transform our day and our understanding of the power of breath.
This is one of the many reasons that I love and practice yoga. For me, it's about rooting in the now, and staying connected to my breath and body in order to feel optimal emotional and mental well-being. Thank you for sharing your NOW Kaley!
N othing
O ther than
W hat is happening in this moment