Indulge me. These are the things I would love to say to you, in person in the studio, but I would most definitely cry and that could be really touching but also be a bit weird :)
Thankyou for showing up. Week after week, year after year. It means so much to me, that you choose my little space to spend some of your precious time in. You rush in from the school run, on your days off or at the end of a long day, in between the millions of things that need doing. In a world where there is an endless pull on our time and attention, I am so happy that we get to spend some of our time together.
Thankyou for being open and curious about what we do. We call it yoga but it could just as easily be Mindful Movement, Meditation with Training Wheels, Happy Sloth, or Deep and Delicious. No matter, you breathe and move and are really good at noticing the change of state from before to after.
Thankyou for your consideration and support of each other. I don't think that there is a life situation that, between us, hasn't been covered. Some of my favourite conversations ever have been during our tea sessions - I feel like a sponge soaking up years of knowledge. You are so wise!
Thankyou for showing me your strength in the face of adversity. Time and time again I wonder how you cope with your grief, your pain, your situation, your uncertainty. Yet here you are, listening to someone else, caring, supporting. You are an everyday reminder to not judge others - we cannot know what is going on beneath that strong surface. This has been one of the biggest life lessons you have taught me - don't judge. Stay open. Consider context and perspective. We are all doing the best we can, most of the time. That's good enough.
Thankyou for moving when you needed to move, and pausing when you needed to pause. The best classes are not ones where you have done everything in my class plan, but the ones where you have felt seen, heard and supported in your choices. When you have listened to your body and napped through the whole thing. Or tried all the options available and really tuned into what would feel best.
Thankyou for being so bloody funny! I honestly walk away from every session so uplifted. We have had some truly weird and wonderful conversations over the years - I think the combination of women, acceptance, rolling around on balls plus an element of cheekiness unearths the clown in all of us.
Thankyou for telling me what works and what doesn't. Like everyone I love praise, but I learn the most when I know what didn't quite land. When you are honest with me it is a reminder that we all feel things differently, and this helps me to serve you better in the future.
Thankyou for your friendship, your belly laughs, your hugs; for the biscuits and the lemons and the limes and the flowers and the cards and surprise presents tucked into my mailbox or left on the doorstep. Thankyou for accepting me with all my imperfections. In a yoga world that is dominated by the young and the agile, it is so nice to be able to play in the studio without restraint or expectation. Where we can be frazzled and sweaty, have bad hair days (until the Airwrap!), and freely share the mundane, the wonderful, the ridiculous aspects of our lives.
As I read this back I realise that the magic of what we have in the studio has very little to do with how we move our bodies, and everything to do with how we show up for ourselves and others. How we move each other with our care and loving attention.
I feel like I am doing a lifelong internship in the Essence of Humanity. Thankyou for being my inspiration ❤️
Wishing you a relaxing and very happy festive season. I look forward to seeing you in 2023.
Much love,
Amanda xx
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