I have a student on Thursday nights who asked me at the end of last session (ahead of a two week break) if I would give her some tips or written sequences for practicing yoga while she was on vacation. She was looking forward to a quiet trip into nature (a cabin by a lake or a condo in the mountains or some country setting....) with just the family.
I suggested that she see me after class, and we visited in general about designing a home practice and ways to practice away from home. I remember telling her a little of my own story - how, early in my practice, and with the advice/input of my teachers, going to the lake, finding a quiet spot and letting the natural surroundings, my own desires, and physical internal signals tell me what to do, how to move, how long to be on my mat.
What I didn't tell her was how concerned I was back then that I would not be able to practice on my own.....what poses should I do? what props? What if someone saw me and thought I was weird? Should I set aside an hour? Less? More? What if I just sat there? I didn't tell her that my first attempt at an individual practice in nature lasted less than 15 minutes (still fun and worthwhile, just short!) but that I learned a lot about myself.
Classes started up again this week. This student looked radiant, relaxed, and happy. After class she described her experiences, which not so surprisingly, mirrored my own. She saw an eagle fly overhead, she heard the wind, and she was inspired. She didn't go with a set plan and was willing to just see what happened. The first time she rolled out her mat, her practice lasted about 20 minutes, and there were several other opportunities during her trip. She told me it was the best experience she had ever had.
I smiled at her, told her how happy I was for her....and said: "now that.....was yoga....."
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