The name's hero, super hero

I saw this cute picture last week of two window cleaners, halfway up the side of a children's hospital, cleaning the windows. It was so sweet to imagine the gaping children inside. You know that it's all some of them will talk about for the rest of the day and it will be a magical memory they'll hold forever in their hearts.

What's so beautiful is that those guys were only doing their job. Yet, that day, or maybe they do it all the time, I don't know, they took the ordinary and turned it into the extraordinary. They created magic just for those kids, just because they can.

We hold these limited views of ourselves, that we are not enough. The more yoga we do, the more we set aside those ideas and just allow our light to shine with ever more power. Because it's true, we are all heroes and not, David Bowie, just for one day. We all have it within us to change someone's day with the way we interact in the world.

Me and my mat

My husband just asked why I insist on keeping such a clapped out old yoga mat. I guess it’s because we’ve been through a lot together.

We only got together by mistake because I left my other one somewhere on a train between Brighton and Lewes. I hope someone picked it up and loves it just as much as I did.

We’ve been together in Cornwall, Chalk Farm, Copenhagen and even on honeymoon in Crete. Aswell all those other places which don’t begin with C. Most of the time though, you’re happy to hang out in the spare room waiting for the next practice.

You have two foot prints from a thousand Addho Mukka Svanasana, Plankasana, Chaturanga Dandasana, Urdva Mukka Svanasana and back to Addho Mukka Svanasanas. And a few black marks from writing class plans in flow.

You’ve supported me in Addho Mukka Vrksasana Pincha Mayurasana, Sirsasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana, especially in my less than elegant dismounts. Not to mention a hundred luxurious Vipariti Karanis.

We’ve spent all of our training hours together. Including when we almost split up because you wouldn’t let me hide under you and escape my final teaching exam.

You’ve been rolled out, rolled up and flung in a corner countless times. Yeah, I think we’re going to stick together a bit longer yet. You know too much.

A little thank you

I was reminded of some words from Elena Brower today: “when stuff happens I think about how I can teach this, I par it down to one sentence and refine it. Then I ask how can this be of service to others and I teach that”.

I’d forgotten these words and I’m so happy that I was reminded of them. Life deals some curve balls, stuff we didn’t expect, stuff with think is unjust, stuff which just makes you angry at the world. These words reminded me of two specific things that I’m profoundly grateful for.

Number one: that somehow I have access to this great mass of yoga philosophy through some truly phenomenal teachers. It’s like having my own personal satnav to help me find where to go when things gets really tough. Somehow my brain clicked right into it and I remember it, that’s how I know it’s serving me. I’m so grateful for that.

Number two: that I get to teach people yoga. That I get to take my experience and offer it back out into the world in a way which might just help someone, or at least that’s my intention when I teach. That in a small way have to look at my own response and work really hard to find the lesson, the nugget of gold. I’m so grateful for that.

Thanks Elena.