The residue or echos of a class often last days, weeks, months longer than the hour of practice itself. A recent class I attended featured the theme of contrast and I am still noticing it everywhere. Notice: to see, feel or sense something, to be aware of it. To become more aware of our surroundings and our place within them.
I was asked by a friend if I still ‘needed’ to go to class now I am a teacher. The short answer is a hard yes. I am still learning. As my teachers always remind me, in grand scheme that is yoga we are all still very much beginners. What a relief. The freedom of not needing to be expert in everything. That said, I've had the great fortune of some exceptionally skilled and gifted teachers and mentors for over a decade now. They've held space for me through both triumphant and tricky territories with the care, professionalism and attention they do all their students, gently guiding back our scattered focus to where it's most needed and best serves its purpose. I love a good self-practice as much as the next explorative practitioner (especially when skewing my practice with favourable odds by luxuriating in just the things I like) but opportunity to hand yourself over to the care of a teacher you trust for a few hours a week remains a real and powerful.
Picture: Conitus Coggygria x white brick