Saturday

January 19, 2019

Winter · 9 entries

Values Over Rules⁣

When I first started teaching Ashtanga Yoga in the Mysore style, I took a trusted counselors advice and established boundaries around my student - teacher relationships that were as close to water tight as i could get. I wanted a total lack of porousness to ensure I was acting from an ethical and honest place. ⁣

Like many things, this served me well until it didn’t. My first apprentice’s Shala turns two this year— and I am oh so very proud of her. As i understand it, my highest aim as a teacher is to watch my student grow until one day they eclipse me. And well, ol’ girl is giving me one heckuva run for my money!⁣

As @livelyogini has grown, she has inspired a higher excellence in me, just as I have hoped to do for her. The symbiosis of the relationship is one of my greatest personal and professional joys. ⁣

Part of that includes a necessary shift in hierarchical overtones— she is my dear friend and trusted counsel now. In the grand scheme of things, it means that rules have to change as paradigms shift— and because none of this is Permanent, it is highly anticipatable that rules absolutely will. ⁣

No, rules don’t last forever. ⁣

But values might. Like love, compassion, valor, integrity, and friendliness. But hierarchies? They’re meant to crumble. ⁣

In @dcashtanga ’s most recent newsletter (are you signed up??) i shared a bit about how flowers have a capacity to hear bees, and how yoga relates. The truth is, some days youre the flower and some days you’re the bee— and we’re all just participating in making honey. ⁣

@ashtanganation is one heckuva hive— ⁣

Amrita Bindu Upanishad⁣

18. After studying the Vedas (that is recorded knowledge) the intelligent person who is solely intent on acquiring knowledge and realization should discard the Vedas altogether, like the man who discards husk to obtain rice?⁣

19. The milk is always white even though cows are of diverse colures. The intelligent person regards Jnana (learning) as the milk and the many branched Vedas as the cows.⁣

20. Like butter hidden in milk, pure consciousness resides in every being. That ought to be constantly churned out by the churning rod of the mind
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