Spring in the Garden of Yoga

I have been working a couple of jobs lately - and I've just realized that I see a lot of similarities between these two roles.
In my gardening role, I remove last year's growth, and create a healthy space for plants to flourish, contributing to aesthetic beauty, in the most literal sense.
In my role as a yoga instructor, I create a safe, welcoming space for yogis to flourish.  It's my privelege to witness them shedding old growth, making space for new growth, and realizing the courage to shine their inner beauty into the world.

I had planned one of today's classes with a horticulturally inspired theme of rooting downward, and growing/expanding up/outward, very much like a garden plant.
And like a plant in the garden, from the support of our roots/foundations, we can all create the space we need to grow and flourish.  There is also much work to do in clearing out this hypothetical garden, removing old fears, tensions and any old perspectives or expectations which have long withered.

I love my saturday classes - these are yogis who attend with open hearts and minds, and they happily come along for the ride.  I'm so grateful for these people, they bring such lovely energy each weekend.  If I think getting out of bed early on a saturday is tough, I have only to get myself to the studio, and make myself available to them, and my day is suddenly brighter.
Like a garden of beautiful flowers, they are all so individual and they each bring me inspiration , all of these individuals who surprise and delight me regularly:  the couples who reach for each other's hands in savasana, the lithe athletic types, those who come with injuries, some with illness, and occasionally each of them with weary energy...  I am constantly inspired and heartened by their efforts and their presences.

I am blessed to watch them flourish, every single weekend!

Thanks to the horticultural theme, I was inspired to leave the class with my favourite bit of
Anais Nin:

Risk

And the Day came
when the risk to remain
tight in a bud
was more painful than
the risk it took
to blossom.


Wishing you growth and abundance this spring!
Namaste