yoga is a way of life.. For inner peace and good health, practice yoga

yoga is a way of life.. For inner peace and good health, practice yoga

Sunday, November 21, 2010

You Are Welcome

On Friday I took my regular yoga class after missing it for two weeks while allowing my injured heel to heal (no pun intended!). At the end of the class, as we all were laying on our backs in the very relaxing svanasana (corpse pose), the teacher went student by student to gently push our shoulders down into the matte which releases that last bit of tension from the body. With my eyes still closed, I said, "Thank you," to her and she softly said, "You are welcome." Perhaps because she is from Colombia and has an accent, she didn't say, "You're welcome," but "You are welcome" in three distinct words. It struck me that the meaning is so different from the response we say automatically when someone thanks us.

Here I had missed the class for several weeks and felt like I would be out of shape, even though I know yoga is not meant to be competitive, and found I was still very strong and capable. It was great to be in this nurturing environment again and how nice to have this special "ah-ha" moment at the conclusion. You Are Welcome. I wish more people stated this in the beginning of our encounters with each other! Imagine walking into a store and the staff greeting you with, "You are welcome!" You would feel special and enter knowing your presence is important.

I had read in yoga texts a number of years ago that it is good to walk through every doorway as if entering a temple. It immediately reminds me that I am a divine being walking through life with respect. I can extend a warm welcome to those who enter my home or step into the space I am standing wherever that may be, treating that person with friendliness, hospitality, and respect.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we will either host a dinner or be a guest, and have the opportunity to say, "You are welcome" or feel welcomed in someone's home, walking through their doorway into a temple. This alone is worth giving thanks as it is foundational for how we can all live together in peace in this world. I give thanks to my yoga teacher Francesca who has allowed me to see the value of three little words.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you, Audrey, for starting this season with such a beautiful reminder of how we can make this time meaningful in our lives.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wish I could be with you for Thanksgiving.
    Love, Merge

    ReplyDelete