Thursday, September 08, 2005
At Home With the Fearless Leader
I love this city. As soon as I arrived in San Francisco, I was tingling with excitement. I got on the airtrain and took the BART to the hotel. I was very nicely surprised. When I came up from the subway, I was right at the corner of my hotel. So convenient.
The Yoga Princess and I had made plan for her to come pick me up and go to a yoga class. The Fearless Leader would be teaching. I love going to her class. I know that she is the one who will reach deep within me and show me that all I need is already within me. She will shed light on the answers to the questions I have. And that is exactly what happened.
I felt so good and at home when I stepped in to the yoga studio. I was greeted by a smile from my Fearless Leader. That made me feel welcome too. I changed quickly and took my place on my mat in the yoga room.
Class started and I was ready.
I was listening intently. Nothing gets past this woman. "Cisco, squeeze the crap out of your hands." My palms were not touching, I was being a bit lazy. My first backward bend was shit! She always compliments me on it. I could not even see the back wall. I can usually see the floor behind me. I started to give my all - holding nothing back. Then I came back into my body. This pose I am doing right here right now is perfect. I am doing the best I can. This is what my body will allow me to do today. I started to have some difficulty. I told her before class that I had not been practicing regularly. NOW this fact was evident. You could tell from my practice that I had been away from yoga. I started to focus on my breathing, then my body. Trying to regain some control. I heard her say:
What the mind can conceive the mind and the body can achieve. That's it! The mind has all the control, not my body. It all starts with making a decision and that is ALL ABOUT THE MIND. In a way, mind over matter. That is yoga, the union of the mind and the body. OK. I am not gonna give up. And here we go.
I start focusing intently on my breath, regulating my heart rate. Pose after pose. And then my new mantra comes to me. (My sick, twisted mind plays these little jokes on me.) "Never Let 'em See You Sweat! I Smile. The room is heated to a 105 degrees. The sweat pouring off of me. I see the steady stream falling from my elbow, my nose, my knee, my fingertips in the front mirror. I smile even more. How crazy. Never let 'em see you sweat. Be calm, cool and collected. Breathe. Pose after pose. smile after smile. I refocus on her voice. Damn that woman is sheer inspiration. She probably does not know it, and that is the beauty.
Towards the end of class, she starts talking about the evacuees of hurricane Katrina. She asks that we each do our part. She begs us to help. She says that no one should have to go thru what these people are going thru. She explains with much thought on how they have nothing. It is one thing to lose your job, but you still have your home and your car. Or To lose your car, but you find a way to work. These peoples lives have changed completely. Forever. Then tells everyone they MUST help. She is no longer asking. She says that it our duty to help our fellow human beings, it is our responsibility. We MUST help these people rebuild their lives with dignity and respect. We are not giving them handouts. We are giving them a helping hand. Dignity and respect. BIG WORDS. I weep silently. I am releasing emotions that I had been unable to do anything with over this whole situation. I was grateful for my the safety of my friends. I was sad for the many that had been relocated. So many lives changed. Now the tears are flowing just as the sweat had been pouring earlier. She says that could have happened to anyone anywhere. We MUST do what we can and then give a little more. It will be appreciated. She spoke with such grace, such passion and such conviction. The students there will rally together and do what she asks. They always do. What she speaks is true. Here is this woman in San Francisco, who has never been to New Orleans, reaching out to help. More so, getting others involved to help. Why? Because she is good people. And Good people do that. "If we each do a small part, it will make a difference in someone life," she says. What would it be like if every community did just one small part. And then the sum of it all was put together? This could be solved rather quickly. Can you imagine? Thank you Fearless Leader. Thank you.
After I gathered myself up and tried to put myself together, The Yoga Princess and I went catch up even further and to have dinner at my favorite Vietnamese Restaurant, The Three Seasons. I love going then when I am in San Francisco. GREAT PLACE! We talked and she told me stuff and I told her stuff. I was able to talk about something that have been going on with me. It has been difficult to talk about. She listened and was supportive and loved me and did not judge me or even try to give a solution. She just listened. It felt so good to get this off my chest and move on. I love that girl! I really do.
The Yoga Princess and I had made plan for her to come pick me up and go to a yoga class. The Fearless Leader would be teaching. I love going to her class. I know that she is the one who will reach deep within me and show me that all I need is already within me. She will shed light on the answers to the questions I have. And that is exactly what happened.
I felt so good and at home when I stepped in to the yoga studio. I was greeted by a smile from my Fearless Leader. That made me feel welcome too. I changed quickly and took my place on my mat in the yoga room.
Class started and I was ready.
I was listening intently. Nothing gets past this woman. "Cisco, squeeze the crap out of your hands." My palms were not touching, I was being a bit lazy. My first backward bend was shit! She always compliments me on it. I could not even see the back wall. I can usually see the floor behind me. I started to give my all - holding nothing back. Then I came back into my body. This pose I am doing right here right now is perfect. I am doing the best I can. This is what my body will allow me to do today. I started to have some difficulty. I told her before class that I had not been practicing regularly. NOW this fact was evident. You could tell from my practice that I had been away from yoga. I started to focus on my breathing, then my body. Trying to regain some control. I heard her say:
What the mind can conceive the mind and the body can achieve. That's it! The mind has all the control, not my body. It all starts with making a decision and that is ALL ABOUT THE MIND. In a way, mind over matter. That is yoga, the union of the mind and the body. OK. I am not gonna give up. And here we go.
I start focusing intently on my breath, regulating my heart rate. Pose after pose. And then my new mantra comes to me. (My sick, twisted mind plays these little jokes on me.) "Never Let 'em See You Sweat! I Smile. The room is heated to a 105 degrees. The sweat pouring off of me. I see the steady stream falling from my elbow, my nose, my knee, my fingertips in the front mirror. I smile even more. How crazy. Never let 'em see you sweat. Be calm, cool and collected. Breathe. Pose after pose. smile after smile. I refocus on her voice. Damn that woman is sheer inspiration. She probably does not know it, and that is the beauty.
Towards the end of class, she starts talking about the evacuees of hurricane Katrina. She asks that we each do our part. She begs us to help. She says that no one should have to go thru what these people are going thru. She explains with much thought on how they have nothing. It is one thing to lose your job, but you still have your home and your car. Or To lose your car, but you find a way to work. These peoples lives have changed completely. Forever. Then tells everyone they MUST help. She is no longer asking. She says that it our duty to help our fellow human beings, it is our responsibility. We MUST help these people rebuild their lives with dignity and respect. We are not giving them handouts. We are giving them a helping hand. Dignity and respect. BIG WORDS. I weep silently. I am releasing emotions that I had been unable to do anything with over this whole situation. I was grateful for my the safety of my friends. I was sad for the many that had been relocated. So many lives changed. Now the tears are flowing just as the sweat had been pouring earlier. She says that could have happened to anyone anywhere. We MUST do what we can and then give a little more. It will be appreciated. She spoke with such grace, such passion and such conviction. The students there will rally together and do what she asks. They always do. What she speaks is true. Here is this woman in San Francisco, who has never been to New Orleans, reaching out to help. More so, getting others involved to help. Why? Because she is good people. And Good people do that. "If we each do a small part, it will make a difference in someone life," she says. What would it be like if every community did just one small part. And then the sum of it all was put together? This could be solved rather quickly. Can you imagine? Thank you Fearless Leader. Thank you.
After I gathered myself up and tried to put myself together, The Yoga Princess and I went catch up even further and to have dinner at my favorite Vietnamese Restaurant, The Three Seasons. I love going then when I am in San Francisco. GREAT PLACE! We talked and she told me stuff and I told her stuff. I was able to talk about something that have been going on with me. It has been difficult to talk about. She listened and was supportive and loved me and did not judge me or even try to give a solution. She just listened. It felt so good to get this off my chest and move on. I love that girl! I really do.
