For Life. It’s so good. It’s been a very (emotionally) busy 2010 thus far, but things are quieter now. I’m reveling in this space of reflection and gratitude.
January 2010 was such a rush – physically and emotionally. The first weekend we were in Big Bend/on a plane. The second weekend we were unpacking and recovering from Christmas and Traveling. The third weekend we drove to Santa Barbara (on a whim!) and got officially hitched. The fourth weekend we bought a new vehicle (a completely consuming process, which took all weekend and all the previous weeks and months of research). The final weekend, we prepped for 6 visitors from Texas and threw K his 9th birthday party. Wham-bam!
In between all that I actually subbed my first 3 yoga classes ever! (a gigantic milestone for me). And I co-taught a “free friday” at the studio with the lovely Donna. Wonderful times – but really BIG times as well. It was a monumental month, with lots of learning and growing involved.
February went by in much the same (yet different) way. More learning and growing (ouch!). Certainly, the month was dominated by the fact that I was subbing the SUNDAY class at It’s All Yoga for my teacher Michelle, who was on recess. I’ve got to say – I’m glad it’s over! Not that I don’t utterly appreciate the opportunity – because I do! I learned so much from this experience, and it really helped me grow my teaching legs. But it was HARD. The Sunday class is a big deal (pressure!). When Michelle teaches it – it’s like the biggest class of the week (pressure!). The people who come are truly wonderful yogis who know what great yoga is (they get it from Michelle – duh). I was subbing for my TEACHER: the person who inspired me to love Yoga, a truly gifted yoga teacher and yoga soul (PRESSURE!) and I don’t want to let everyone down (um . . . Pressure anyone?).
I don’t think I can express what an intimidating experience it could have been for me, BUT for the absolutely wonderful presence of the students who came to the Sunday Sub classes. They were amazingly sweet, kind, patient, helpful with comments and constructive criticism, and so so very generous. They couldn’t have been more wonderful – to have kept coming and trying me out – even after some ‘not the best’ classes. Some folks came every week, rain or shine. Beautiful, beautiful people; I thank them from the bottom of my heart, they really made the experience a wonderful one.
Still, I’m glad to be done, and SO grateful to have done it! I am awed by my brave and wonderful teacher who let me do it, thankful to my husband who encouraged me to say ‘yes!’, and utterly humbled by the wonderful community of students at It’s All Yoga who came out to support me and all the other newly budding teacher grads who subbed for Michelle during the month. I am swimming in Gratitude.
Aside from the dominance of The Sunday Yoga Sub-Class, there was K’s birthday in February, then my birthday (my 30th – another big deal) and the week-long presence of six of my family and friends who came to celebrate it with us. There was also substitute teaching corporate yoga – a new experience for me altogether, and other sub classes and another Free Friday! All in all, I was able to teach 8 classes in February – what a wonderful opportunity for a new teacher!
2010 has been Gigantic thus far, but March is looking sweetly . . . ease-ful.
*Yesterday was my husband’s birthday (gratitude!). *We booked our plane tickets to South By Southwest (a week of music and music conferences in Austin), we bought our wristbands, we lined up a friends house to crash at, and we are SO looking forward to a week of adults-acting-like-children-seeing-their-favorite-music-fun! *I booked a campsite for Yosemite during K’s Spring Break at the end of the month, 4 nights/5 days in the park and we’ve never been – so exciting! *And our friends who married us might come up to visit from Santa Barbara next weekend, and we love them. *I’m subbing for Tamara this Sunday at 11am, sweet!
I am truly and utterly in awe of these blessings, and although they are far from ordinary - I came across this last night while reading Pema Chodron, and I hope to come back to it at a time when my blessings are a little less obvious, and perhaps hidden under difficulty: ”Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.” -from The Places That Scare You
. . . but for today: Unabashed Rejoicing in obvious Blessings and swimming laps in Gratitude! (to the ridiculous tune of “happy-happy-joy-joy” from Ren and Stimpy)
