Almost September

It has been nearly a month since I wrote. But I can explain my absence, officer / Mom.

During the first half of August I spent a lot of time getting things set up for the Teacher Training, as well as getting things lined up for the coming year, taking care of general business, finishing out the studio session and generally being a full-time secretary to my business. Also I did manage to get in a good amount of study and practice. It was a lot and I feel happy that I was able to stay on top of it. I do feel a little wistful that I didn't spend much time playing outside. I'm also wistful that I didn't write more. I don't mean just blog posts. Writing in general has been taking a back seat. This is a pattern. I'm looking into that.

Starting on the 16th I began the preparatory stages of what is going to be a month long Ayurvedic process - Panca Karma - working with Ayurvedic practitioner Patricia Berger. It's very nourishing - not harsh - no big weight loss (so if any of my family members are reading - don't worry - I'm not going to get too skinny). I'm two weeks into the process now. I feel clearer in my mind and lighter in my body - but not depleted. Most cleanses are depleting. I've done several over the years and the general tone of those cleanses has been "body-negative" - as in "the body is dirty - clean it out from the inside out" And the subtext - "if you're looking for dirt there will always be more to find". This process I'm doing is much more "body-positive" and is aimed a building and restoring deep reserves (ojas) while at the same time clearing anything that stands in the way of that aim. I'm liking it. My energy is good. Tomorrow I start a more intense part of the process.....I'll keep you posted.

On the 25th, Christina Sell and I began our first experience of co-teaching. We are old friends from way back - Inner Harmony days - an ongoing from there. We taught Part III of the Teacher Training (I had taught parts I & II here in June and July). It went really well - remarkably well. We have a lot more co-teaching scheduled and I am guessing that we will look back and see that this was the most challenging of our co-teaching for several reasons: we hadn't started the TT off together; we hadn't co-taught before; and we had to do a quick job of getting in step with one another while simultaneously being very respectful of one another and deferring to one another. I held back to see what needed to arise - so did she. It could have been a train wreck but it was just the opposite - a great journey.

Christina and I are very different - she is extroverted and teaches a lot nationally, I am introverted and focus my main efforts locally. She is great with the technical aspects of Asana. I love the poetry of the body and its' energetic pathways. She is so good with articulate language and drills to teach it - to groove it in. I have a lot of experience with hands on adjustments and therapeutics. Although each of us is also good at the other's strength - and we have a lot of shared strengths - we are DIFFERENT - and that is so great. We aren't trying to be the same so the offering is not twice as rich but something like 10 times as rich. Vive' la Difference.

I've heard from several students now that they were amazed and delighted and very well served by the synergy of our diverse approaches to the same method (Anusara) and by how we each were quite able to "hold on to ourselves" and what we knew while at the same time staying flexibly permeable to what the other had to say and offer. I also had great gratitude and recognition of a clear transmission of Blessing Force supporting us and informing our work together.

The group of teachers that attended were attentive, open-hearted, intelligent, full of aspiration and willingness. I expected no less from this brilliant, open hearted and strong community of practice. So many people, over the years, have visited here and taken classes and have told me - in various ways - that they have been amazed by how rooted, friendly, mutually supportive and stable our kula is. It is true. and as a kula we are now strong enough to easily enfold teachers from Canada, all over Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Sorry - can't help but brag on us.