The Beautiful Goodness of People

Prior to my two-week vacation this summer, I asked my Yoga students for feedback about why they do Yoga, what they are learning of particular interest on their Yoga journey, and what they would like to learn more about. Your responses will guide our Yoga philosophy discussions over the next few months.

Although the answers covered a lot of aspects of Yoga, including its effects on the mind, body and spirit, what impressed me most was the common yearning, seeking and appreciation for the experience of Yoga. People want to take better care of their bodies so they can experience life more richly, so they can live longer and be there for their children, and because a deep experience of their bodies gives them a deep experience of what it is to simply be alive.

People have discovered, often with surprise, how much their Yoga practice carries over into their relationships, work and lives, helping them be less reactive and more observant, less judgmental of themselves and others, and more loving. People shared how their Yoga practice helps them reconnect to who they truly and most authentically are, and that they want to feel and live from this place more often.

What inspired me most from the feedback of my Yoga students was the beautiful goodness of people, and their desire to bring more peace and harmony to their own lives, and to the world. As a full-time Yoga teacher, I often forget that others do not get exposed to this sort of beauty within the human being as often as I do. We so often see the "bad news" on television, or within family and work dramas.

One of the participants in our Teacher Training program once said to me "I don't ever have conversations like this with anyone else in my life". On Yoga weekend retreats, participants are amazed at the quality of energy in themselves, and the group, by the end of a weekend of Yoga living. This is why our Yoga community continues to be more and more important, and continues to grow.