One of the most telling images I’ve come across recently was a person practicing yoga on a crowded sidewalk amidst an urban jungle of people, cars, pollution and noise. That type of image resembles the following story from a fellow yoga teacher. It’s easy to practice when everything is just so. The real practice begins with real life and challenges we all face. Today’s GlamSpirit guest, Lorien Neargarder, shares her personal adventure full of trauma and transformation:
Rooftop Yoga in the Rain
The Lesson of the Hurricane Yogis
With visions of tropical drinks, endless white beaches and a hammock nestled in the shade, I traveled to the Yucatan Peninsula for a yoga retreat. I knew a hurricane was hitting the Caribbean, but thought optimistically that it would pass us by. Unfortunately, the hurricane had other plans. Enroute to Tulum, our resort destination, the group was rerouted to Cancun.
Our hurricane-proof hotel in Cancun roughly resembled a 3-story cinderblock prison-particularly when the power and water went out after 7 pm. I desperately clung to the idea that this was only temporary, but could feel myself sliding into a pool of negativity. Then, little by little everyone began sharing what we had: candles, flashlights, music, and yoga. We came together to eat, drink, entertain, comfort and heal, even though some of us had never met. We stayed awake as long as we could, listening to the rain and wind. At the worst of it, I laid flat on my back and took deep breaths, trying to keep my imagination in check as the 80 mph winds blew outside.
The next morning, we awoke and assessed our situation. Our Tulum resort needed a week to restore power and water. With no resort and no flights, we chose to move inland. Eight yogis piled into a 6-seat mini-van for the 2-hour trip. Although it was uncomfortable, no one complained. We spent 3 days near the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, appreciating everything and absorbing a quiet power from the location. I taught some of the yoga classes to give our instructor a break. Feeling invigorated, we packed up and headed back to the coast.
As we neared a beach town just north of Tulum, the signs of the hurricane’s destructive force reminded us of how fortunate we were. We used our hotel rooftop as our very own yoga studio, and as I practiced, I felt my energy come back and my anxiety subside.
The next morning, the skies disappointed us and poured 2 inches of water onto our rooftop studio! But what was a little water to these yogis? We collected towels, changed into bathing suits, and swept up. It was my morning to teach, so I lead rounds of Surya Namaskar (sun salutations), hoping to bring out the sun. The rain did abate for a while, but returned with more force as the students rested in Savasana (corpse pose).
At that point, it all seemed very comical, so I followed my intuition and guided the group through a laughing Savasana; I brought up funny moments from our trip, such as playing charades by flashlight, stuffing an undersized mini-van with bodies and baggage in the pouring rain, chasing caterpillars away from our mats, etc… We giggled until we washed away our tensions. The lesson of this trip became clear: this is the yoga of life! Life is loud, wet, messy and unpredictable. We all have to find peace in the eye of the storm.
Lorien Neargarder is a former Mechanical Engineer who now teaches yoga full time in the South Bay Area; visit Lorien at www.yogabylorien.com.
Technorati Tags: Glam Media, Glam, GlamSpirit, Wellness, Health, GlamNetwork, Transformation, Yoga, Healing, Lorien Neargarder
Stumble It!
Save to del.icio.us
Digg
Email
Facebook
Post a Comment