Trusting My Journey

I started one of the books on the recommended reading list from my yoga teacher. It’s called The Heart Of Yoga: Developing A Personal Practice by T.K. Desikachar. I read the foreword and the introduction, which was an interview of the author, T.K., about his father, one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. It was extremely informative and helpful so far with providing context, background, and history on yogic practices and how the practice used to be taught. This particular author and his father came from a long line of great yoga practitioners traced back to the ninth century!

What I love about what I am learning so far is the spiritual recognition of some of the values and principles the author learned from his father. I’m grateful my journey to yoga and my experience with my first yoga teachers seems to confirm what the author says in the introduction. Such as the way of teaching requires kindness from the teacher and much modesty and humility on the part of the student. Yoga is more than simply a physical practice. One of the best concepts conveyed had to do with how yoga is applied to the individual. The starting point is never the teacher’s needs but that of the student, which requires different approaches. Yoga serves the individual through transformation rather than giving information.

There was a lot more. It was a long, very engaging and interesting foreword. But I’m most encouraged that I was able to recognize how some of the information parallels my experience with yoga so far. It has been much more than physical for me! My teachers are most kind in their instruction, inviting me to explore and challenge myself in safe ways. It’s certainly been transformative.

I especially related to how modest and humble the author and his father was about their knowledge and practice of yoga. They always gave credit for their success and practice to former teachers and to God. I feel that way about my recovery when people want to give me credit for my sobriety and what it’s done for me and my life. I owe that to God, my sponsors and the AA way of life. I am quick to tell  people so and give credit where it’s due. More and more as I follow the path that unfolds, I am shown over and over that I can trust this journey because it continues to reinforce what I’ve been taught along the way.