Yoga Tales from Rural Maine: My cup runneth over
Every Thursday, from 1-2 pm, I teach a gentle, healing yoga class at the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in Ellsworth. My students are mostly cancer patients and cancer survivors. They have busy lives and a lot on their minds.
I had to cancel class this week, because of an injury I sustained during firefighter training. It was a difficult choice, but the right thing to do.
Today in the mail I received a beautiful hand-painted, hand-written card from one of my Beth Wright students. She sat down yesterday, at the time when we would normally be together, and wrote me the most beautiful message of loving appreciation and healing wishes. Then she put it in the mail, so that I would get it today.
I was deeply moved by her thoughtfulness and by the awareness of the impact we have on one another, teacher and students, because of this gentle, healing time we spend together each week.
Another of my other Beth Wright students hand-knit me a gorgeous cowl neck warmer, which you can see in the picture I posted yesterday of me and Marjorie. She wrapped it in the most beautiful paper and slipped it into my bag after last week's class, with an inspiring note of kindness and appreciation.
I have been wearing that cowl every day, and since the worst part of my injury is my neck sprain, it has felt very good to be warmed by her gift, both in body and in spirit.
The downside of being sidelined by this injury is that I have lived inside a cylinder of constant pain for the last three weeks and the things I love to do most (yoga and firefighting) have been taken from me; the upside is that being honest about my pain with my students has given them the opportunity to pour a tremendous amount of genuine lovingkindness into my heart. I was not expecting it. My cup runneth over.
I had to cancel class this week, because of an injury I sustained during firefighter training. It was a difficult choice, but the right thing to do.
Today in the mail I received a beautiful hand-painted, hand-written card from one of my Beth Wright students. She sat down yesterday, at the time when we would normally be together, and wrote me the most beautiful message of loving appreciation and healing wishes. Then she put it in the mail, so that I would get it today.
I was deeply moved by her thoughtfulness and by the awareness of the impact we have on one another, teacher and students, because of this gentle, healing time we spend together each week.
Another of my other Beth Wright students hand-knit me a gorgeous cowl neck warmer, which you can see in the picture I posted yesterday of me and Marjorie. She wrapped it in the most beautiful paper and slipped it into my bag after last week's class, with an inspiring note of kindness and appreciation.
I have been wearing that cowl every day, and since the worst part of my injury is my neck sprain, it has felt very good to be warmed by her gift, both in body and in spirit.
The downside of being sidelined by this injury is that I have lived inside a cylinder of constant pain for the last three weeks and the things I love to do most (yoga and firefighting) have been taken from me; the upside is that being honest about my pain with my students has given them the opportunity to pour a tremendous amount of genuine lovingkindness into my heart. I was not expecting it. My cup runneth over.
Labels: health, illness, love, maine, tales from rural maine, the truth about love
posted by Naomi at 12:35 PM
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