今天是臭小子的 4 歲生日,他依舊安安靜靜的享受陽光,好奇卻不興奮,活潑但不踰矩。

養阿迪原本是在我生命中想做但是以為會永遠做不到的事,除了王媽媽有毛動物之童年陰影,加上台南的野狗野貓兇狠至極,所以我從小就被灌輸狗貓危險,必須敬而遠之,以策安全。

在我長大成人的這段時間,我也確實盡可能和狗貓保持距離。可是,每當看到身邊朋友們的親切毛孩,我又開始疑問牠們真的那麼可怕嗎?

直到在 PRYT 受訓期間,有天爺爺在課程後結語:「去完成一件你一直想完成卻已經猶豫很久的事。去看看猶豫的原因在哪?是否是因為害怕或擔心而無法完成的?」於是,當下又燃起照顧毛小孩這個念頭。

緊接著準備一陣子,並搜集相關資料後,我便與阿迪相遇了。

阿迪教會我的第一件事是「耐心」,無法與他用言語溝通,但要如何讓他知道該遵守的紀律,「觀察」便成了我第二個練習。我發現最有價值的一件事情是,「我希望他成為怎樣的狗,我自己就必須先成為怎樣的人」。比如說,我希望他在家時冷靜穩定,我自己就得先冷靜穩定,當我非常專心在自己的事務時,阿迪就會靜靜守在一旁;相反地,當我快速趕著出門,阿迪也會跟著我躁動不已。雖然在此之前,我看完所有 Ceasar 影片,也懂得「主人能量影響狗」這個道理,但當自己真正在實踐時,自己的確需徹底落實,否則只是紙上談兵。

「言行一致」這句話也更深深烙印在我自己,提醒自己無論任何事情,都得身、口、意一致。

生日快樂阿迪,雖然你可能會問:「生日是什麼?能吃嗎?」

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Usually, when I teach a big class, I don’t talk much about yogic philosophies. On the one hand, my time is limited. On the other hand, many students who attend such a class are casual practitioners whose goal is fitness. I don’t want to steal time from their workouts.

One day, before class started, I discovered to my delight more than half of the students’ present had been joining my classes regularly for months. In that moment, I suddenly asked,
“Does anyone still remember how you felt about doing yoga the very first time you tried it?”

Some students immediately answered,
“I almost died!”
“I was so tired!”
“It’s so hard!” 

I inquired further,
“Then, why do you want to continue it?”

A few students replied,
“Because I can get a better body.”
“Because I feel good after I finish.”
“Because I can become healthier.”
 

I continued my line of questions,
“Has anyone ever thought that they should consistently practice yoga till you complete all yoga postures or become an expert?”

Students answered,
“It seems impossible in my lifetime.”
“Oh, I hope it will happen, but maybe many years from now.”
“I would be content with half of your ability.” 

Then I replied,
“No matter what your reasons for practicing yoga, please enjoy the process. And during this process, it may include comfort and discomfort, as well as happiness and sadness.” 

After the class, Student A, who generally attended this class once a month, came over to me.

 Student A:
I was very interested when you talked about “enjoying the process”
during today’s class. I don’t know why, but it made me want to laugh out loud after finishing the class. I feel so happy now! Am I not a neuropathy, am I? But I really want to share with you!

Me:
What kind of happiness are you feeling now?

Suddenly, Student A burst into tears.

Student A:
(sighs) I have never had such a happy feeling. It’s like my heart chakra is
really opened. I have been trying to open my heart wheel since I started to practice yoga, but I finally felt I would never open it, not completely anyway.

Me:
So, you mean you feel happy because your heart chakra is finally open?

She paused for a moment.

Student A:
Not exactly. Maybe it’s just in my head, but like what you mentioned
about the process: today I concentrated on the process during the whole class. I kept watching myself, not just focusing on how to open my heart chakra.

Another student, who was attending my class for only the second stepped forward.

Student B:
I have a question: what you’re saying is about the attitude toward life,
right?

Me:
Please tell me more about it?

Student B:
Most people, and me as well, we always have some goals in
our  lives. But oftentimes, in order to pursue these goals, we ignore what we have been doing during the process. Like what you just said “enjoying the process”, I feel that I can be closer to it all the way. I just found I usually don’t pay much attention to what I’m doing in the moment. Originally, I wanted to say that I am too old to learn yoga, but now I feel that I really did the right thing by coming to yoga.

Before I left the studio, Student C, who regularly attended my class once a week suddenly approached me and asked if I could provide more of my opinions. She expressed that it could help her think deeper and wider. She said that she had been practicing yoga for more than ten years, but she always felt that she was missing something, and she had been constantly asking herself, “Do I want to continue practicing yoga in the same mode?” Lately she had been looking for this “missing” piece. In order to seek out the reason for such a feeling, she had been trying to practice various yoga styles or exercise in different places, including personal studios, commercial studios, gyms, sports centers, community colleges, etc. However, she still felt empty. 

Student C:
Your words today, suddenly made me realize what I’m missing. In fact, I
just need to bring it into my own life. Like the eight limbs, koshas and so on talking about in yoga…… it is just to go back to myself…… such as I have to observe anything…… like what you yoga teachers often like to talk about…… something like knowing……

Me:
Awareness?

Student C:
(nodding) Yes! Awareness! It is awareness! What I didn’t do is to investigate myself seriously and carefully, so that I always felt like I missed out, like I had lost something.

As I was leaving the studio and stepped into the sunshine, I felt satisfied and contented. I had no expectations when I shared those words, but I shared truly and sincerely in that moment. I was so amazed by all the feedback that I received. 

Many people start their yoga practices with their own purposes in mind, such as wanting to deepen their knowledge of yoga postures, or improve their yoga breathing skills. Some people want to have better health, and some of them seek peace of mind. In fact, no matter what the purpose is, we can consider and ask ourselves,
“Do I achieve my purpose and become to excessive pursuit?”

<<Yoga Sutra 1.3>> mentions, “The Seer (Self) abides in Its own nature.”

The roughly overall meaning is, the real I live in myself. 

Michael Lee, the founder of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy once mentioned, “awareness of what is happening”, which means being aware of what is happening now. Just like the feedback from the three students above, “seeing what I am doing”, “paying attention to myself” and “seriously observing myself.”

When we are aware of ourselves, we enjoy the process. When we are enjoying the process, we are in the now. When we are fully committed to be in the present, we will not be worried about the “results” (future), or look back at the past.

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