Day two of the yoga retreat and I feel pretty good. Highlights of the day were a workshop on stress, gentle yoga, an intro to Integrative Accupressure, and a YogaDance seesion. Now, most of my friends know my complete love of dance. Am I any good? Not particularly...but I make up for it with pure enthusiasm. YogaDance is basically a dance party in the middle of the day. No choreography...just a bunch of goofballs dancing their ass off to fun music. It's a bit similar to Nia if you've ever done that before. If you like to dance at all (skill is not required in this format...there were some serious crazies in today's class), you've got to try it. It's AMAZING. Seriously, I had chills the whole time. I felt alive. Pure and simple. Hard to explain.
I had dinner for the second night in a row with T. We met last night in a gentle yoga class. I'd noticed him when he walked in. He's just one of those people who looks interesting. Short and muscular, dressed in black, tattoos, a beard. Probably in his forties. At one point, we were asked to make eye contact with a couple of people in class and smile. We made eye contact, and his eyes were warm; a contrast perhaps to how one might first react to his appearance (though I know better from experience). At dinner, I spotted him and sat myself down, and we struck up a conversation. T is a former NYC high school teacher. A few years ago he had a bit of a meltdown and found himself at Kripalu for three months of healing. Here, he got into massage and yoga. And he's been following a path to become a massage therapist over the past few years, including a several-month stint out in Big Sur, California. I learned that he was here for a Thai Massage workshop lasting all week. We parted ways, sure that we would see eachother again.
He caught my eyes at breakfast this morning and we exchanged a hello as I was heading out, and he was coming in. Our dinner schedules coincided tonight, so we sat down together and had a chance to share our lessons for the day, and talk a bit about life. He's been following his passion, but his savings is starting to run out. He still hasn't really found his path (at least not one that affords much income). But he's encouraged because he's not steeped in worry like he would have been three years ago. He's learning and growing and knows that he'll figure it all out. He's not ruled by fear. Or worry. Or dread. Hearing him talk is quite calming. Even with a bit of his rough edges seeping in now and again during our conversation. When I say I'm looking forward to my Integrative Energy session on Wednesday beacuse I'm holding on to some unhealthy emotions, he encourages me to let it all go. And it makes me want to.
So, why share all of this with you? Because we're all searching. In one way or another. Whether we realize it or not. Because most of us want to be more. To do more. To grow into something better. The question becomes what you're willing to do to change. Everyone has a story. And the beauty is that you get to write the next chapter. So, what's your story going to be? Hasta, sabbaticaljo
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