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What we call the beginning is often the end and
to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start
from. – T.S. Eliot
It is so amazing how grace has always flooded our lives and led us
on our path together. The shedding of skin to prepare for re-birth
can be painful and joyful, confusing and empowering. The opening to
this beautiful process began, in some respects, for Paul and me on
the exact same day. Neither of us had any intention of becoming yogis.
Paul had just sold two businesses in Atlanta and we were both feeling
ready for a major lifestyle change. We’d always felt that our
lives should be devoted in service and in healing towards others but
we had no idea in what way the universe would reveal that direction
to us and we certainly had healing to do in order to get there.
One day, in search of our new selves, we (reluctantly) went to a yoga
class. I couldn’t touch my toes and Paul had a big hunch in his
upper back that inhibited him from standing up straight. Both of us
had been regular smokers so breathing in deep fresh air was something
new and intense. I never liked “stretching” and thought
that yoga wouldn’t be for me. The magic of yoga began immediately
from that very first class. A sense of joy arose, a desire to embrace
life flooded our spirits and lingering depression was lifted. It was
as if we had “seen the light” we were searching for. We
returned to classes to keep those feelings alive. We immediately started
taking class multiple times a week and joined intensive workshops with
many senior yoga teachers. Little did we know one day we’d be
putting our legs behind our heads and helping hundreds of students
step into the transformational power of yoga that hit us so hard.
In the process of shedding our skin we moved from Atlanta to the sunny
beach town of Siesta Key Florida. We studied many books on yogic philosophy,
and practiced hatha yoga and meditation, on average 8 hours a day.
We knew we had to work hard at releasing old patterns and instinctively
began our preparation to accept our new roles in life. This went on
for an entire year, everything in us was shifting it was as if the
whole matrix of our beings was being prepared for something great.
We joined an Integrated Yoga Teacher Training program down the line
and that eventually led us to meeting our teacher and mentor Betsey
Downing, “the Grande Dame of Anusara Yoga,” as John Friend
says. Betsey introduced us to the beautiful system of Anusara yoga
and we began studying and eventually apprenticing with her. In time
we were both teaching full time and saw how the Anusara system of yoga
healed and empowered our students to grow to their highest potential.
We studied with as many amazing Anusara Teachers as possible and are
most grateful to our dear friends and teachers, Mitchel Bleier and
Sianna Sherman as well as the incomparable John Friend.
We began to teach classes together and realized the joy of sharing
our teaching together. Paul offers the humorous and solar Shiva energy
and I offer the feminine Shakti energy, we feel together we can symbolize
the synthesis of union, the meaning of yoga (some days are certainly
harder than others!). In teaching together it has magnified the divine
essence of co-creation to better help us transmit a playful and empowering
experience for our students.
Joining the amazing community in Maryland has been a wonderful expansion
and a gift of grace in our lives. As we step into this new spring,
welcome our new skin and watch life burst into magnificent colors around
us, we are grateful to be sharing this time with our Willow Street
family. The enthusiasm of the kula has uplifted our lives in so many
blessed ways. Thanks to our students and fellow teachers for creating
a wonderful healing community that holds all of us and allows us to
step into and share the gift of this ancient practice!
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