A true, short story about being a Yoga teacher.
About a year ago I had a student show up who also calls himself a teacher, a ‘master teacher of teachers’ no less.
Even though he came to my class he seemed reluctant to cooperate with my instruction by going through the motions wearing a sour attitude on his face. At the end of exercises and breathing, when time to meditate, the class is very specifically instructed to put the mats neatly aside and head indoors. As usual, the entire class did as they were instructed, simply put their mats aside, headed indoors and took their seats for meditation.
This teacher man stayed back, hemmed and hawed, worrying about his mat, folding it slowly, carefully. He paced back and forth looking for a place to put it where no one or thing would bother it.
As I am waiting for him and the class is waiting for me, his friend whispers to me..."He's anal about his mat." I whispered back, “Why is he not anal about his meditation?”
The friend shrugged his shoulders.
I continued waiting, he eventually made it in to the meditation room but the damage was done. His misplaced focus not only sabotaged an opportunity for himself, but now he will have to deal with the karmic responsibility of disrupting the meditation of others and nullifying the efforts they made to prepare themselves for the event.
Meditation is the most important event in a yoga class. Everything a yoga teacher does to purify your body and mind during the exercises and breathing is supposed to be designed so that you having a fighting chance at a successful and spiritually progressive meditation.
This is clear in the Yoga Sutras, we cannot change it. However, many overlook it and end up teaching yoga as if it is nothing but a glorified stretch course. Rarely, if ever, explaining the higher techniques, the goals and the challenges.
Your yoga mat is not a person, so don’t personify it. It is not special to your practice any more than any other tool.
Don’t make believe it provides you with any security. It’s not your friend. It is a tool. If someone takes it, get another.
YOU are a person and Yoga, the whole 8 stage process, is meant for your liberation.
Stay focused on the real goals, don’t miss out.
We can use anything as a mat.
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