Yoganimosity

There are many Sanskrit words for having a compassionate heart. Karuna. Maitri. Loving-kindness for all living things, is a tenet of yoga and Buddhist practice. Loving even one’s enemies, is a feature of many spiritual practices. Certainly, easier said than done. However: to be a yoga teacher, it’s a good thing to strive to hold ourselves to a high standard of loving kindness. We’re human – we tend to judge, compare, envy. But there are very clear messages in the Yoga-Sutra, and in the Buddhist Eightfold Noble Path, to reduce the tendencies of doubt, blame, ignorance, envy, and lies – and to replace them with faith, support, understanding, joy, and truth.

When we can share in each other’s sorrows with empathy, and share in each other’s victories as though they were our own – our world gets bigger and more joyous. Cultivating a connection with others, even those we don’t understand and agree with, strengthens and fortifies us. Seeing ourselves and divided or at odds… does just the opposite. Anger and fear drain our resources. We mistake life’s successes as a zero-sum game when… both success, and compassion are limitless.

We all want, happiness and freedom. There’s even a Sanskrit mantra for that! ‘Lokah, samastah, sukhino, bhavantu.’ We can begin there, as a basis for what we have in common. What the mantra implies, is, ‘may my life be in service of what brings happiness and freedom, to others.’ After all those thousands of years ago since people began repeating this invocation,,, we don’t seem any closer, unfortunately. But that’s not a reason to give up.

I write this because, I heard a comment that gave me pause today. A friend of mine had done a yoga teacher training somewhere other than where he currently practiced, and the narrative was ‘He did his training at their RIVALS…’ as though it was a deep dark secret.

It made me wonder – are we rivals, in this yoga studio business? Or, are we friends upholding the light of yoga for different communities in our area? Can the tide rise all boats? Can the light of a single candle, light a thousand flames without diminishing the flame of the first?

I want to believe that it can.

I’ve heard teachers I greatly admire, be spoken of negatively by others. One comment was, “So-and-so doesn’t even have a guru… she just flits from teacher to teacher.” What’s wrong, with drawing inspiration from many teachers?

I’ve heard teachers criticize other studios as “You know… they don’t teach ALIGNMENT there, it’s just FITNESS….’” Well… what if some people aren’t ready to slow down and notice each nuance yet? What if they want to just be playful? What if Sanskrit and mantras, aren’t their cup off tea? Can’t they be who they are, and practice the way they choose?

I’ve heard teachers say “Oh, they just do ‘old lady yoga’ there… it’s SO BORING.” Well… I STARTED my yoga practice in a group of old ladies. If we’re bored, it’s usually because we’re just not paying attention. I owe my career to a group of people doing ‘old lady yoga’. 🙂

Something that my teacher Grace said in class, (while recovering from some criticisms) was – “when people are living their lives, they let other people live theirs.” I love letting that give me inspiration to just do my best, and let the rest go.

We aren’t rivals, in the same way that the kidneys aren’t rivals to the lungs in a body. We just express our utility in different ways. We ARE part of a greater whole. I look forward to the day, when we look back at our yoganimosity and have a good laugh. 🙂