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Newsletters
February 2012
You + Serving Others = BY Valentine
This little equation represents our Being Yoga (BY) Studio’s Theme of the Month. To spell it out, it means that by serving others at Being Yoga, you are sending out Valentines of “loving kindness” to everyone in the studio.
“But,” you might be asking yourself, “how do you ‘serve others’ at a yoga studio?” Please read on to have this question answered.
It is easy to serve others at Being Yoga. One way of serving is by practicing the “golden rule, “ or treating others the way you would like others to treat you! Simple courtesies such as arriving to class early, turning off cell phones and stowing away belongings outside of the practice room serve to keep distractions down to a minimum for fellow yogis. On the rare occasion when you find yourself late, you can serve others by entering the studio quietly in-between postures so as not to break anyone’s focus. (If being late isn’t such a “rare occasion,” you should examine the causes of your tardiness and make it your goal to be punctual. Chronic tardiness is generally caused by unexamined bad habits.) Even before heading to class, it’s extremely thoughtful and kind to practice good personal hygiene—especially in our heated Bikram’s classes!
Practicing “loving kindness” towards others in the room also includes setting up your mat and/or standing on your mat in such a way that you’re not directly blocking those in back of you. Staying on your mat throughout class (sitting down or lying down when you need a break) minimizes disruptions and sets a good example for others who might be struggling to stay on their own mats.
One of the kindest ways of serving your fellow yogis is to stay quiet and calm—before, during and after each posture. Wriggling, wiping, fanning yourself, making adjustments, whispering or talking compromises the meditative experience for the entire class. (Not to mention it creates more heat and agitation for you.)
Another way of exemplifying loving-kindness is by letting go of judgments. If someone around you is being discourteous, use that as an opportunity to focus more intently on your own practice and to cultivate your own calm state of mind.
Given how uncommon it is for life to be tailored to your own specifications, it’s important in the yoga studio to cultivate skillful responses to circumstances outside your control. Letting go of expectations and preferences and being “OK” with what IS (vs. what you WANT it to be) allows you to find peace given any experience. This peace, in turn, spreads good energy to everyone in the room. Allowing yourself to be upset if the environment isn’t “just so” (not hot enough, too hot, fan on too high, fan on too low, etc.) is unskillful and brings dissatisfaction that doesn’t have to be experienced. Spiritual leader Anam Thubten has said, “When we accept the way things are we are able to love everything and everybody.”
Loving everything and everybody includes practicing loving-kindness for yourself. It’s quite impossible to love anyone else unless you have a healthy love for yourself. Listen to your body, respect it, and appreciate it for all the miraculous tasks it accomplishes on your own behalf. Comparing yourself to others or getting upset when you’re not doing as well as you think you should is unskillful thinking again. By practicing loving-kindness for yourself and being happy with who you are, you are serving others by spreading more positive energy.
So, keep up the good work practicing loving-kindness in order to serve others—as well as yourself. Happy Valentine’s all you BY Valentines!
Click here to read more about Yoga Etiquette.