“Ahimsa is magic. That space is infused with the collective magic that we all built there together- guided by the fearless and loving JP and Michelle.”
Ahimsa is magic. That space is infused with the collective magic that we all built there together- guided by the fearless and loving JP and Michele.
I have so many memories of Ahimsa, but several come from Yogayama which I did at least seven years ago.
I remember the emotional last day of teacher training and the fear that all of the magic we built up within ourselves and our collective over months of training and vulnerability would be lost, but then arriving to the studio the next day at 7AM and finding the self-practice room full of my fellow teacher trainee grads. I could hear their ujjayi breath all around me and I almost burst into tears because I knew that the magic lived on. I remember the first time I ever did Goddess flow. The dark room. Seeing my shadow move against the wall move seemingly on its own- reflecting my body moving instinctively, intuitively, instead of from the directives of my busy brain. I remember sitting in a circle after class and bursting into tears because I had never felt such a union between so many elements of myself. I remember teaching a Karma class on Sunday night, the year after I finished Yogayama, surrounded by the new trainees. I taught in the middle of the room. The power of hearing Oms coming from each direction was indescribable. I remember JP teaching a class focused on listening to our own bodies, and inviting us to let our bodies tell us which poses to practice. I came up to him after class and told him that it was the best yoga class I had ever taken and he laughed and said ‘that’s because it was yours!’.I remember assisting for his Monday at 10am class. The heart, love, and care I attempted to transmit through my hands during my adjustments. Experiencing the collective sigh and release at the end of class as I waited for people to peel themselves off their matts. And I also remember the quiet moments, moments where I sat in the window alcove during an energy exchange, or practiced for a few minutes alone in the studio before teaching my own class. It’s like you can feel the studio breathing with you. I looked back at photos and videos from that time and I’m inspired by the sensuality in my practice- the connection to my body and my senses. JP and Michele taught me that I am my highest teacher in a yoga class and beyond. They taught me that love comes first. I see those teachings in my movement then and now. As I reflect on this, I’m amazed by how seminal their and the Yogayama teachings have been in making me the person I am now. I still listen to my body. I still connect to myself primarily through body-led movement. I prioritize Ahimsa in how I move. I try to put love first. I remember, on the last day of training, telling JP that I think that when I look back on my life 10+ years from now and wonder why I am fulfilled and happy, I will identify the decision to do Yogayama as a pivotal turning point that led me there. I stand by it. Thank you for the magic, you witches and wizards. Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. Connectedness in togetherness indeed.
Skye F.
