Guru Purnima....

...thanking the teachers. 

On the full moon of July, Hindus and Buddhists celebrate Guru Purnima, the honoring of gurus and teachers.  Tonight is the Full Moon, and I pause to thank my teachers.  (For more information, check out Guru Purnima on good old Wikipedia!)

My current teacher is a gifted man with a pure heart.  He's out of the country right now and I sincerely miss his guidance and energy.  I felt an instant resonance when I met him.  His classes make me work... and smile.... and I honor his presence in my life.

What makes a good yoga teacher?  I'm sure every style of yoga has their own criteria... for me its more than mastery of the subject.  Teaching requires a unique ability to communicate not only the poses but the spirit of yoga. There is a heart centered energy that comes with those who are truly gifted and feel yoga in their souls.  I can sense it quickly and the feeling deepens with each class.   I've grown in strength and endurance with my current teacher.  I so look forward to his classes, especially at the end of a crazy work day.  I can truly feel my body and breath change as we begin. 

I've been in classes where I don't feel that connection.  Tonight was one such night.  The substitute was nervous, spoke in sing song rhythm and tried to teach a style she was not well acquainted with.   The shift in energy was enormous.  I had to come to a place where I could remove her from the equation and simply be present in my practice.

But overall, I've been so blessed with many many talented loving teachers in my yoga life.  To each of them, I bow in gratitude.

From Ram Dass: What gurus are is a mirror that shows you where you aren’t. That frees you through their love and acceptance. It creates an environment where, when you are ready, you can move ahead. They are a mirror that is clean, so you see your own stuff. That’s all you see. You don’t see your stuff mixed with their stuff, because they don’t have any stuff.

As I gazed at the full moon tonight, I sent a silent thanks to every one of my teachers.  I have learned from each of you.  Namaste.