Teaching Love
The first moment that I walked into the Rising Sun Yoga studio, I felt something. The presence of love? It was a feeling that brightened my Spirit; the feeling that melts away the heart's worries and stresses. All of the teachers that I've had in my life—in yoga and the martial arts— have taught me one thing...love. After several weeks of being acquainted with the teachers at this studio, I realized that they all radiate positive energy and love. So, I made a resolution to be a more loving person. As I continued to take more yoga classes, I began noticing the various styles of each teacher: the language, the cues, the techniques, their spirituality, their awareness of the students' needs, and most importantly the love they give to each one. It makes a difference when the teacher takes the opportunity to correct your posture and thanks you for sharing your practice.
I'm learning that Chaturanga, Warrior, Extended Side Angle and all the other poses are not the most important thing in class. What is important is how we do them. Are we doing them with compassion? Do we have the mind and body insight to bring forth a connection? Are we present as we move from one pose to the next? Are we mindful? Techniques fade away over time, but Spirit remains—the love that you have developed.
Along with my passion for Yoga, I am also a devoted student and teacher of Tae Kwon Do. During the last weekend in March of 2012, I attended a Tae Kwon Do evaluation in Rhode Island and was given the opportunity to lead warm-ups, which consisted of jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups. As a teacher in this art, I've always focused on helping my students to build their confidence. One way in which I have done that is to develop a very rigorous teaching style. However, I soon realized that my emphasis would need to change.
My Tae Kwon Do master has always taught that we need to teach love and that as a teacher our focus, with respect to our students, must have that thought in mind. During the evaluation, I was surprised when the master brought me to the front of the room to teach the six people who were testing. He said: "you must teach love so take a moment to reflect on what that means before you begin teaching". After several moments of introspection, I began. In the midst of a hundred jumping jacks, I said one word—smile—and everyone’s face brightened in the room—their spirits soared. And I realized that one simple, everyday word could change someone's entire demeanor.
Something changed within me from that moment on. I learned that love does not come from the mind or the body, it comes from the heart. I learned that if we all start listening to our heart, we will feel the presence of love. When we do, it becomes our joy to give and teach that same experience to others. If we don’t, we can accept the love of those around us—our teachers, our parents, friends and companions—because a gift that you can give to someone else is simply to receive what they give to you.
With this awareness, I bring forth the spirit and love within me to my practice of yoga. I commit to be that positive energy and love that my teachers have taught me so that I may give it to those around me. I invite you to share this love with others as a student and a teacher.