Category Archives: Yoga Philosophy

My Hope for the New Year: A Full Well

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Bricktown, Oklahoma City

I learned a Sanskrit chant in yoga teacher training many years ago:

Om Purnam Adaha
Purnam Idam
Purnat
Purnam Udachyate
Purnasya
Purnam Adaya
Purnam Evavashi

The English translation goes something like this:

This is fullness.
That is fullness.
From fullness, fullness is born.
When you take fullness from fullness,
only fullness remains.

The first time I chanted this. I thought it sounded absurd; in fact, I could barely keep from laughing. But as 2012 winds down and with it, my energy, the words seem much more profound.

I use many yoga tools to help clients build energy, but one of the most profound practices has more to do with daily life than life on the mat. Energy–our ability to give to ourselves and others–is much like a well. When we’re healthy, our energy well is full and our sources of replenishment are abundant. In those times we have plenty to give to others.

My personal energy well is fullest in the summer, when light and warmth surround me, I sleep well, and I have quality time to share with friends and family. In summer, I am “full,” and when I am full, I can give of my energy to others while still having abundant energy left for myself.

The deep dark days of winter are different. During those times, my well runs dry. If I don’t focus on filling myself first, I have nothing to give to others, no matter how worthy their cause might be.

So this winter, I plan to spend time doing activities that fill my well. Not because I’m selfish, but because I’m generous. Only when my own well is full can I give from that abundance to others.

In that spirit, I’d like to offer the reflection below to each of you.

A Meditation to Re-fill Your Well

  • Sit comfortably, with your spine erect and the crown of your head floating up to the ceiling.
  • Allow your eyes to close and notice your breath—without intentionally trying to change it. Bring your attention to the sensation of the breath in your nostrils.
  • When you are ready, imagine all the things in life that fill your energy well: people you love, activities you enjoy doing, gifts of nature, even something as simple as taking a hot bubble bath or savoring a square of smooth, dark chocolate. Let these thoughts float through your awareness as images, sensations, smells, tastes, or anything else that is powerful for you.
  • When your mind wanders, bring it back to the sensations of the breath. Then imagine again everything that brings you energy and joy.
  • After several minutes, ask yourself the following questions.
    1. What do these images tell me about how I can increase energy and foster joy in my life?
    2. What actions can I take in the coming year to invite more energy, joy, and gratitude into my daily life?
  • When you become distracted by other thoughts, simply notice that distraction. Then, with your next inhale, ask yourself the above questions again.
  • Continue this meditation for ten minutes or longer if you’d like.

In this coming year, may your well–and the wells of those around you–be full to overflowing.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Yoga, Writing, and Persevering Practice

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I have spent every spare moment for the last year and a half writing my first yoga mystery, Murder Strikes a Pose. My husband and dog can both attest to my writing obsession, as well as the sacrifices they made so I could pursue it.

I offered my novel to the universe last Tuesday. To be more specific, I e-mailed it to several prospective agents. As I hit the SEND button, I was struck by the parallels between writing and yoga. Both have been inexorable parts of my life this last year. My personal yoga practice kept me balanced and opened my mind to creativity. Teaching yoga kept me grounded in what was truly important. Writing allowed my mind and imagination to fly free.

According to sutra 1.12, yoga helps us overcome the limitations of our minds and the frailties of our conditioning, but only if we commit to it as a “persevering practice.” Persevering practice occurs:

  • Over a long period of time
  • Without interruption
  • With dedication and enthusiasm
  • Without attachment to results.

Easy, right?

If you’re like me, your yoga practice ebbs and flows. Sometimes it’s part of your daily routine; sometimes it falls off the radar for weeks at a time. Sometimes you leap onto your mat with the joy of a child holding a bright green lollipop; other times you drag yourself there like a fifty-year-old en route to her first colonoscopy. And that whole idea of not being attached to the results? Well, good luck with that.

But as usual, the sutras offer wisdom, for both yogis and writers. Put simply, the ancient teachings are right.

Asana done once a month or even once a week gives anemic results, and the benefits of daily practice quickly dissipate when discontinued. Without dedication, yoga practice becomes nothing more than exercise, and not very effective exercise at that. On the other hand, if we hold preconceived attachments to the results of our practice, we simply give up.

Writing offers many parallels. I wrote the first two chapters of my book over three years ago, then let it sit for almost two years. Until I worked on it daily for over a year, I made no progress. And on the days I lacked dedication and enthusiasm, my words were no more than crumpled pages at the bottom of my recycle bin.

As for attachment to results, well, I have to let that go, or I’ll never make it past my first rejection, sure to come any day now. Any writer attached to success lasts about three minutes before laughing maniacally, tossing her computer out the window, and popping popcorn over the manuscript burning in her fireplace.

So why continue? I practice both yoga and writing because word by word, pose by pose, both offer unexpected gifts: flashes of self-understanding, moments of quiet calm, a connection to laughter and joy in this sometimes challenging life. These small gifts make all the rest worth it.

Like many of my students, my yoga and writing practices both wax and wane, and my larger goals often seem unattainable. I’m more likely to become a bestselling author than attain enlightenment in this lifetime, and neither is very darned likely. But the simple act of practicing serves me, nonetheless.

So if you need me, I’ll be teaching at the studio or typing at my keyboard—persevering.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle!

Don’t Miss the Trees

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“Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have – so spend it wisely.” Kay Lyons

I woke up Thursday morning actually looking forward to the 30-minute drive to my Mercer Island vet. No, I don’t enjoy I-90’s rush hour traffic, and although I love my vet, I wasn’t giddy with joy at putting my dog, Tasha, through yet another exam for her most recent slate of health issues.

I wanted to see the trees.

Seattle’s had an unusually gorgeous fall this year. The trees are turning color, and the ivy has become my favorite shade of red. Tasha’s vet appointment provided the perfect excuse to explore the fall colors before the weekend’s forecasted rain. I loaded Tasha into the car, turned on the radio, and set off on my journey.

Five hours later, it occurred to me. I hadn’t seen a single tree. No, they hadn’t all mysteriously disappeared, transported to the planet Adrastea by mysterious alien aircraft. I’d simply been too distracted to notice them. I don’t even know for sure what distracted me. I wasn’t particularly stressed about this appointment. Traffic was a breeze for once, so I wasn’t worried about being late. I’d even had a good night’s sleep the night before.

I suspect I spent the entire drive grumbling at my dashboard, annoyed by the political talk show I’d turned on—always a good use of my time. But regardless of the reason, I totally missed the colors, in spite of my intention to look for them. On BOTH directions of the drive.

Which made me wonder. How many other beauties do I miss in my daily life even when I intend to look for them?

According to The Yoga Sutras, the primary goal of yoga is to control the random fluctuations of our minds so that we can see clearly and react appropriately.  In short, yoga teaches us how to be present in every moment—fully appreciating the beauty of this life, while not being derailed by its inevitable challenges. Even if one of those challenges is an obnoxious talk show host.

I invite each of you to be fully present at least a few minutes each day. Turn off the TV and the radio. Silence your cell phone. Don’t check Facebook for an hour or two; your “friends” will still be there later. Unplug from your fast-paced technological life. Take in your surroundings; smell the scent of fresh rain. Communicate with the real friends standing next to you.

I started Thursday afternoon by taking Tasha for a two-and-a-half hour walk. She joyfully immersed herself in all of her favorite fall scents. I finally noticed the trees.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle!

ABCs of Yoga

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This week’s blog entry was written by guest author Roy Holman. Roy is a graduate of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program. He  can be contacted at ho**********@***il.com and at http://holmanhealthconnections.com.

I had a chance to ask T.K.V. Desakachar a question when he was leading a workshop in Portland a few years ago: “Do you think we in the West are too asana focused?” His eyes lit up and he said,”Oh yes! By age 60 one should be doing 20% asana, 40% meditation, and 40% pranayama.” His father Krishnamacharya once said, “Nowadays, the practice of yoga stops with just asanas.”

Many of us get into yoga for Exercise reasons, which is fine. We may begin yoga for physical reasons–perhaps to help heal an injury–and stick with yoga for other reasons; perhaps we become more centered or peaceful. Some of us may even begin yoga for the other E word: Ego. We may wish to impress people with our fancy poses or even sexy body. As Yoga Sutra scholar Chip Hartranft puts it, “In fact, hatha yoga practice may initially be driven to some extent by narcissism.  After all, hatha yoga can appeal to us because of the powerful way it addresses some of the self’s most cherished preoccupations–health, attractiveness, sexual energy, and longevity.”

There are four letters that precede E that may get ignored.

A might stand for Awareness (not just asana).  Our practice begins and ends with awareness. We can begin to notice what draws us to the mat (or away from the mat). Awareness involves no judgment, just noticing how we feel in each pose, what draws us to certain styles of yoga and to which teachers. What is our motivation? What are our patterns? Additionally, A also stands for Ahimsa (nonviolence), the most important “yama.”

B is for Breath. Connecting the breath to the movement, to me, draws me out of the head and deep into the body and the yoga practice. I begin to lose  myself and find my Self. Breath seems to bridge body to spirit. Pranayama–breath regulation–is a profound but underappreciated limb of yoga.

C is for Compassion and ties into ahimsa mentioned above. We are often so tough on ourselves. Can we accept where we are?  Can we have compassion for ourselves even if we realize that, due to our low self esteem, we indeed practice partially because of the egoist reasons mentioned earlier? Can we have compassion for ourselves when we find ourselves
comparing ourselves to other students or judging the teacher?

D is for Devotion and Divine.  While reading about the great Krishnamacharya’s life and practice, it struck me how dedicated and devotional a yogi he was. He once said,  “…the reason for learning yogasana is not just for good physique but to obtain atmajnana (spiritual progress.)” Yoga teacher Dharma Mittra, known for his ability to do thousands of incredible poses, said,  “The postures mean absolutely nothing, no matter how adept one is with them, if they’re not done is a spirit of devotion.”

When I studied at Oneness University in India, there was a big focus on devotion to the Divine.  It was humbling for me to see that I was really  more into ego and control than surrender, trust and a devotion to the Divine.

Whether you define this devotion as one to your Higher Self, God, Universal Intelligence or whatever, I suppose that all paths eventually lead there even with our egoist detours. Indeed, we need look no further for the Divine than within our most sacred, essential Selves.

E also stands for Enjoy, so let’s enjoy this beautiful yoga journey together!

Roy

The Gift of Depression

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I wrote this post in early June, but decided to wait until now to share it publicly.  I hope you benefit from these sutra teachings and my personal learnings.

I’ve been fighting a case of the blues for the last several weeks—the kind that makes me want to sleep twelve hours  a day and cry about  every sad story I hear on the news.  Friends cite lots of reasons why I might be depressed:  a pet that recently died, another that is sick without a defined cause, the difficulties of running a business in our current economy, Seattle’s gray June weather, even that dreaded life transition that happens to women of a certain age.

But internally, I know none of those reasons fully explain my lethargic mood.  This sadness has roots deep in my heart. I would feel it even if I were independently wealthy, still in my 20’s, and basking on a sunny beach. The Yoga Sutras call my mental state Daurmanasya, or depression and negative thinking.  They go on to say that Daurmanasya is simply a symptom of something deeper: an obstacle on my path to personal growth.  Sutra 1.31 lists four symptoms that indicate the presence of an inner obstacle.

  • Duhkha: Psycho-emotional suffering
  • Daurmanasya: Depression or negative thinking
  • Angamejayatva:  Instability of any kind, including body, work, and relationships
  • Svasaprasvasa: Disturbance in the breath, including  uncontrolled crying, laughing, or bursting out.

According to the yoga teachings, those symptoms are simply a subconscious warning sign.  When you feel them, you’re up against an inner obstacle, whether you’re not aware of it or not.

Sutra 1.30 lists nine specific obstacles:

  • Vyadhi: Sickness or disease
  • Styana: Fixation or being “stuck in a rut”
  • Samsaya: Doubt
  • Pramada: Carelessness and  impulsive knee-jerk reactions
  • Alasya:  Lethargy, burnout, and lack of passion
  • Avirati:   Inability to withstand the temptation of the  senses
  • Bhrantidarsana: Distorted self esteem ranging from low self esteem to arrogance
  • Alabdhabhumikatva: Not achieving the level you expected of yourself and losing heart
  • Anavasthitatvani: Achieving a level but not being able to sustain it.

Even as I type this list, I have to smile and shake my head.  Doubt and burnout practically leap off the page. I’ve been down this road before.  In fact, these two old friends seem to be recurrent themes in my life.  I don’t yet know what their return means, but that’s the beauty of yoga: I don’t have to.  Sutras 1.32 – 1.39 outline a list of practices I can do to help, regardless of the cause. Historically, I’ve found meditation and reflection to be the most useful.  So it’s back to the mat for me.

And here’s the gift.  As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The teachings say that each time I overcome an obstacle, I grow.  I become more resilient and more able to withstand similar issues in the future.  When I come out of this darker period, I know I will be changed. I don’t know exactly how, yet, but I’m sure I will be stronger.  I will have greater clarity about who I am and the role I am meant to play in this world.  And that is truly a gift.

So the next time you find yourself sad or suffering for no clear reason, know that yoga offers tools to help. Try not to run away or bury those feelings.  Instead, give yourself the gift of time, reflection, guidance, and practice.  Like a caterpillar painfully struggling in its dark cocoon, you may emerge brighter, more alive and more vibrant that you ever imagined!

Namaste

Tracy

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle!

Overcoming the Klesas (Seeds of Suffering)

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According to The Yoga Sutras, the primary goal of yoga is to overcome suffering.  But it’s not the kind of suffering most people think of. Sure, yoga’s great at overcoming physical ailments, from back pain, to asthma, to insomnia. But yoga’s ultimate goal is to overcome the suffering of the mind, or what my teacher calls psycho-emotional suffering.  The kind of stress, heartache, and anxiety we create within ourselves.  The internal suffering we do over external events.  The suffering we do over our suffering, so to speak.

Sutras 2.3 – 2.12 list five klesas, or seeds of suffering:

  • Ignorance, which is especially problematic, because it is not just a source of pain. It is also the fuel that ignites all other sources of suffering.
  • Ego, the belief that we are somehow separate from those around us. Ego results in feelings of isolation, ethnocentrism, and dogmatism.
  • Attachment, or holding on to something for fear of losing it, including relationships, possessions, job titles, and stature.
  • Aversion, or avoiding something for fear of pain. Aversion results in the victim mentality so prevalent in our society today, prejudice, fear, and blame.
  • Fear, especially the fear of death.

Most of us experience all of the above at one point or another. Some will be recurrent themes in our lives, like an unwelcome house guest that visits at the worst possible time, and then decides to stay longer than planned.

For me, attachment and fear are old friends. I love my house, my dog, my husband—even my yoga studio. I worry about losing any and all of them.  Love isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but does fear of loss cause me unnecessary pain? Does fear of loss invite me to make poor decisions?

The sutras say that actions based on the klesas have undesirable effects.  They leave behind a nasty trail, not unlike a slug’s gooey slime trail.  Worse yet, those effects may not even be seen in our lifetimes.  Future generations may instead pay the price of our folly.  One look at our current political climate, and I know the sutras are still correct, even thousands of years after they were written.

But the sutras also offer hope!  They say that yoga, especially meditation, can help us develop a clear mind. And when our minds are clear, we can choose to act differently. By doing so, we not only decrease our own personal suffering, we also leave a cleaner imprint on our world.

We Seattleites, are known for our concern about the environment.  We reduce, reuse and recycle. We encourage people to drink tap water instead of buying those evil plastic bottles.  We even ban plastic bags in grocery stores.  Our goal is worthy: to leave our world a better place than we found it.  But perhaps we’re missing at least part of the point.  Perhaps we should also work to reduce our internal garbage. By doing so, we may just erase the psychic slug trail of negative energy we’re leaving behind.

According to my favorite Native American saying, “We will forever be known by the tracks we leave.”  Today, I invite you all to make your tracks lighter.  Act mindfully, lovingly, with a pure mind.  Take the Sutras’ advice, and start a consistent meditation practice, not just for your own benefit, but for that of your world.

And here is my blessing for you. May your tracks be invisible.  May your actions support your values.  May you live beyond the klesas so that all beings after you are brightened by the path you leave behind.

Namaste

Tracy

Savasana (Corpse Pose): A Time to Rest or a Time to Become Fully Awake?

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I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief when I tell my students it’s time to transition to the period of rest at the end of each yoga class called Savasana, literally translated as “Corpse Pose.”

As each student settles in, I offer softened lights, peaceful music—even neck pillows and bolsters to put under their knees.  Experienced students often cover their bodies with blankets and their eyes with eye pillows.  I tiptoe around the room and verbally guide each student into a quiet place where they can hopefully find, even if for just a moment, a place of internal peace.  I’m rewarded for doing so.  As my students relax, I feel the energy of their tranquility. I sometimes even hear a soft snore or two as they melt away into oblivion.

I don’t think we can underestimate the power of that quiet time.  In our busy world, we rarely take the time to relax and let our minds just be free.  Practiced this way, Savasana provides a time of inner peace. A moment of relief from the information overload of our always-busy lives.

But I sometimes wonder if we’ve missed the point.  According to the teachings, Savasana isn’t really about relaxation.  In fact, I’ve heard Savasana described as the most difficult of all yoga postures.  A posture in which, bodies completely still, we are challenged to keep our minds focused.  The pose is named “Corpse Pose” for a reason. We are to act as if our bodies had dissolved away—as if were already dead, so to speak.

When practiced this way, Savasana is a powerful tool.  It can help us momentarily become less identified with our bodies and less attached to the trappings of our lives. In those last minutes of class, we can reconnect to the pure, perfect essence that already exists within each of us.

I’d like to offer you a challenge. The next time you rest in that final yoga pose, try not to simply melt into rest and oblivion.  Don’t fall asleep, either literally or figuratively.  Instead, stay truly awake, in a sort of resting meditation.  Lie still, in complete silence, present with the sensations of your body and completely aware of the random thoughts of your mind.  Use that time to connect with the beauty and perfection that is already within you.

It won’t be easy.  It might not even be as pleasant as that ten-minute nap you were anticipating.  But finding that quiet place within yourself will be well worth the effort.

Namaste

Tracy

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle!

Staying Balanced when Teaching Yoga–Response to a Student Question

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I look forward to answering your questions in this blog.  Please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail your questions to tr***@***********ga.com.

A Whole Life Yoga teacher training graduate asks: Is it possible for a teacher to absorb the energy of her students? I recently worked with a client who is currently in an emotionally dark place. She felt better after our session, but I felt worse. I even cried later in the day, for no apparent reason. Have you experienced this, and if so, how do you protect yourself?

The short answer is, yes! Yoga tools impact the human energy system, and in teaching them, we open ourselves up to our students’ energy fields. This feels great when students are in a balanced place. It can be challenging when their energy is stressed or sad.

Private work is even more problematic. Private clients allow themselves to be much more intimate and vulnerable than students in group classes. As a yoga therapist, I’ve worked with clients struggling with severe debilitating diseases, clients recovering from trauma, even clients who were in the end stages of terminal disease.

To say, “It isn’t easy” seems more than a little trite. But honestly, I don’t have a simple answer. When I started this work, I actually felt guilty. I thought I should feel worse about my clients’ situations. But I quickly realized that I can’t do this work unless I keep some distance. Otherwise I’ll be on a quick path to burnout and depression. I had to give myself permission not to take on my clients’ pain. The Yoga Sutras agree. According to the sutras, yogis should practice active compassion without joining the suffering. Once we take on the pain of our clients, we’re of no good to anyone, especially our students.

The best way for a teacher to keep that needed distance is to actively practice yoga and meditation herself. That seems obvious, but for some reason, teachers often stop practicing. They even kid themselves that teaching is their practice. Wrong answer! When we teach, we should be 100% focused on the students in front of us. Our personal practice, on the other hand, should be all about us. So if you aren’t currently practicing, start.

Second, I firmly believe yoga teachers should take periodic breaks from teaching. I take a six-week teaching sabbatical every summer. I still work at the studio, but I refuse to teach a single yoga pose. Instead, I focus on filling my own energy well. How full is your energy well? If it’s sucking mud, maybe it’s time for a break.

Third, sometimes our reactions to people around us are symptoms of something already happening within us. I recently wrote an article about Daurmanasya (Depression), which is one of the symptoms of an inner obstacle. So is Svasaprasvasa, which means disturbance of the breath, including uncontrolled crying, as you describe. The sutras list a number of actions you can take when you’re up against an obstacle. Review sutras 1.32 – 1.39 and consider adding one or more of those tools to your daily practice.

Finally, remember to spend time doing things that make you happy. If you’re sensitive to negative energy, you’re likely sensitive to positive energy as well. Nothing picks me up like time spent with puppies or upbeat friends. Others are refueled by playing with children. Still others by gardening. Spend time re-connecting with the touchstones that bring you joy. Allow them to refuel you, just like you do your students.

I hope that helps!

Namaste

Tracy

More information about Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program can be found at our web site:  Yoga Teacher Training at Whole Life Yoga.

Yoga and Meditation: A Port in the Storm

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Last Wednesday was a very tough day in Seattle, and I spent most of the day completely oblivious to it.  As many of you know, several people were killed in a local coffee shop that morning by a mentally ill gunman.  There’s no discounting the tragedy for the victims, the families and friends – even the shooter himself.

But I spent the day working in a different realm: finishing the fourth draft of my novel, which is, ironically, a yoga murder mystery.  I sent the manuscript to my editor just 30 minutes before arriving at the studio to teach.  To say I was in a good mood would have been an understatement.  I sang, danced, and “high fived” myself all the way down Greenwood Ave, ecstatic at having reached this personally huge milestone.

Then I walked into the studio.

The first person I encountered told me about the shootings and the frantic calls she’d received from family and friends.  I responded with something eloquent like “Huh? Did something happen today?”  Soon after, another student told me that her son’s school had spent the day in lock down.  Later, another friend told me how the manhunt had almost expanded to Greenwood – all while I’d been blissfully unaware, creating my own version of mayhem in a wonderfully fictional world.

I have to admit to feeling a little separated from this, even though I myself was the victim of random violence many years ago.  I suspect that’s because I heard about it so much later than everyone else.  Part of me felt guilty for not being as upset as those around me – and part of me didn’t. You see, the yoga teachings never promised us an easy life.  They never promised freedom from suffering.  In fact, they literally say that suffering is inevitable.

What they do promise, however, is a path to peace in spite of it.  They offer us a port in the storm.  No matter how hard we try, we can’t control what happens in this great lottery we call life.  But we can hopefully learn how to be more balanced and peaceful in spite of it.

If you’ve met me, you know that I’m far from perfect.  I stress and angst and worry with the best of them.  But yoga and meditation help.  All we have to do is practice.

I taught the meditation below in my class that night.   May it help you find your own safe harbor in the storms of life.

A Simple Meditation for Inner Peace:

  1. Sit or lie comfortably, with your spine in a neutral position.
  2. Allow your eyes to close and notice your breath – without intentionally trying to change it.  Bring your attention to the warmth and coolness of the breath at the tip of your nostrils.
  3. When you are ready, think of a word that represents inner peace or equanimity to you.  It could be balance, peace, calm, silence, or any other word that has meaning to you.
  4. Each time you exhale, mentally recite that word, and feel inner peace pour through your body, as if it were washing through every cell.  When your attention wanders, just notice it, and invite your attention back to the breath at the tip of your nose.  Then return to reciting your word or phrase with every exhale.
  5. Continue this meditation for 10 minutes or longer if you’d like.

Namaste

Tracy

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle!

Living your Dharma–A Second Chance

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This barred owl stood sentry as the wildlife rehabilitator helped the studio's fallen pigeon.

I expected to do lots of things when I opened my studio, but rescuing injured wildlife wasn’t one of them.  Today provided just that challenge.  It was the last thing I wanted, but just what I needed.  You see two days ago, I lost my 16-year-old cat. 

Devil-cat earned her name.   Marc and I rescued her as a wild kitten on our honeymoon.  She spent most of her 16 years with us completely feral, even though she lived inside as a house cat.  She hissed, scratched, and did bodily damage to anyone who tried to touch her. In fact, no one could pet her without fear of hemorrhaging.  All until this past December, when she had what appeared to be a stroke and magically changed, becoming suddenly friendly and loving, if somewhat off-kilter. 

Her transformation made her death two days ago that much harder.  After all, I’d just started to really get to know her.  Devil and I had just fallen in love.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take another trauma, an instructor e-mailed me.  An injured pigeon huddled outside the studio door.  All I could think was “No God, please, not another death. I don’t think I can stand it.”  I even considered ignoring the e-mail and hoping the problem would magically resolve itself. 

But I couldn’t.  Instead, I went online and did some research.  Armed with gloves, towels, a box and goggles, I set out to capture the wayward bird.  But what would I do when I caught it?  According to law, some animals aren’t worth saving, and pigeons are among them.  Most wildlife rehab centers are prohibited from even trying.  But fortunately Paws directed me to a lovely lady who has chosen to give up funding in order to help all animals, including my new feathered friend. 

That bird couldn’t fly, but man could it run.  I’m sure I looked like an idiot chasing the winged beast around the studio parking lot, begging it to stop and assuring I meant it no harm.  When I finally captured her, I placed her on a towel in my hole-punched box and took off for Snohomish, hoping she wouldn’t die en route.  Over an hour and several wrong turns later, I pulled up at Second Chance Wildlife Center.  Owls, crows, blue jays, pigeons—even a chicken—all recuperated in cages when we arrived. And she (my pigeon was a girl) was still alive.  The victim of a hawk attack, she wouldn’t have made it much longer out in the world, but here at this facility she stands a very good chance.  All because of a woman who dedicates her life to helping beings less fortunate than herself.

What’s the yoga lesson in this?  I guess first is to follow your dharma, your life work, just as this woman has done.  Make your life meaningful.  Stick by your principles.   Help those less fortunate, even if it means giving up pleasures (or government funding) that would make your own life more comfortable.  And know that, just as the Yoga Sutras say, when any being–no matter its species–suffers, we all suffer.  Live with “active compassion” when you see suffering, and work as hard as you can to prevent similar suffering in the future.

I still grieve the loss of my cat, but I hope my bird makes it. I think she will.  And I’m grateful for the new hope she’s given me, even in  the midst of my loss. 

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle!