My yoga practice began in 1993 with B.K.S. Iyengar's style of yoga. I can still conjure up the memory of being an absolute beginner; the studio, my first class, the outfits people wore, the confusion and intrigue I felt stepping into that unknown environment.
I like to joke that it was the final posture, Savasana, that kept me coming back. But actually it's true. It was the one shape I could do and remember from week to week. In his book, "The Tree of Yoga", B.K.S. Iyengar speaks about beginner's mind, balancing a yoga practice with family life, and many other aspects of yoga philosophy and asana (postures). From his chapter called Fruit, he wrote,
" You are a beginner in yoga. I too am a beginner from where I left my practise yesterday. I don't bring yesterday's poses to today's practise. I know yesterday's poses, but when I practise today, I become a beginner. I don't want yesterday's experience. I want to see what new understanding may come in addition to what I had felt up to now. In this quest, my body is the bow, my intelligence is my arrow, and my target is my self. I am aware inside and I am aware outside. We must learn to stretch the bow well before we can hit the target, so go on extending the bow of your body. Then the arrow of your intelligence will become sharp, and when you release the arrow it will hit the target, which is your soul. Don't worry about the target. When the bow is stretched well and the arrow is sharp, you will hit it." With this new format of online learning, we may feel the discomfort of being a beginner. But as Mr. Iyengar says, being a beginner has its advantages. I have always loved beginner's mind. It is how I keep my practice, and what I teach fresh. I'm amazed that after all these years of classes and hours on my mat, I can still find something new. And I know that you can do the same. Each breath is new, each day is new. Yoga teaches us how to be present, aware, and steady when navigating our ever-changing environment. In Mr. Iyengar's chapter on family life, I found my favorite quote from the book. "Throughout all the years, and in spite of all my family commitments, I have never stopped doing yoga. I have not stopped for one simple reason, which you could call gratitude. The one thing which has lifted me to the level I am at today is the practise of asanas." Gratitude, consistency, beginner's mind, these are important guides on and off your yoga mat. Stay well and safe. Sending my love and gratitude to all of your beautiful hearts, minds, and souls. Namaste, Kathryn
p.s. Art is by Ingrid Bartlett
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