Validity

I’ve been on Spring Break.  Kevin and I went to Washington D.C. to visit family and friends over the last week. 

A previous Asheville yoga teacher and former manager of Asheville Yoga Center, Caitlin van Hecke, is currently teaching full-time in the D.C. area.  I consider Caitlin a close and valuable friend.  I so value her skill as a yoga teacher and professional, but most of all I value her friendship because she has been so supportive, and such a timely influence, throughout my yogic jouney.

In fact, she was with me in my first teacher training, at the Asheville Yoga Center in 2008 with Stephanie Keach.  We did the immersion training together, which means we spent thirty days together focused on personal transformation.  I am still friends with a few of the people in that training and its hard not to feel close to those that I remember, without having to stay in touch.  Caitlin and I have discussed many times just how transformative that experience was.  The influence of that intensive training unfolded slowly over time, like how a seed is planted and then blooms later, and sometimes over many seasons. 

Caitlin and I have both worked hard to cultivate the seeds planted at that time.  And our friendship is such nourishing soil to grow within.  I miss her now that she is in D.C. and am so thankful that she is in a place that I visit often.  

We went to a Prana Flow class while I was visiting.  Prana Flow is a type of yoga created by Shiva Rea (http://shivarea.com/) and from what I could tell from the class, taught by Shawn Parell at Flow Yoga Center (http://www.flowyogacenter.com/), is designed around the idea of "flowing" through poses in an effort to connect with the flowing force of nature within (prana).  The vinyasa sequence was orchestrated in a circular motion, moving from front to back of one side of your mat and then around the other side, like a mandala.  It was really very fun, although difficult to follow the teacher's instruction to let go of the shapes of poses. I'm so very used to falling into those shapes.  I can see how over time I have created habits in my practice, little safe boxes I fall comfortably into.  I'm still unsure whether these poses are suppose to feel safe and comfortable over time or if I should be pushing myself beyond these "boxes".
The class led Caitlin and I to a question of "validity".  I often long for my practice to be "validated", for someone to tell me that I am doing it the right way, that I am practicing it correctly.  I think that one lesson we can draw from the many styles of yoga is that there isn't just one right way.  This desire for validity I recognize also as my insecurities about trusting myself.
Nothing in this world has meaning without each of us placing meaning upon it.  The only validity that truly exists is the meaning that we create within ourselves, and the intention and integrity in which we carry forth our expression of meaning.  Over time, I've realized that it doesn't matter what style of yoga I practice-- that it can take many forms and expressions.  I've realized that the arguments over form and expression are not relevant to the core meaning behind the practice of yoga.  All yogis agree upon certain content in their practice:  we aim for understanding, for compassion, for acceptance, and for truth.  If I continue to make my practice about these things-- then my practice is valid and beyond the questions and concerns over form and technique.

If anyone is interested in this "latest evolution" called Prana Flow, Asheville Yoga Center is offering a workshop with Simon Park, Dec 14-16 (it's a pretty good long ways out from now).  Here is some more information on the event from facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150719237760320&set=a.184759460319.163492.37960305319&type=1&theater