Today I saw a woman at the shelter for the second time. It had been
months since I had first seen her. She was returning to try, once again,
to get back on her feet. This time it had been months since she had had
a drink. She looked so much better - her eyes were clearer, her skin
looked good and she looked stronger. She said that she had remembered
what we had talked about when we had met a few months ago – diet changes, exercise recommendations, a focus on nutritious foods – and that she had been implementing these changes. She felt empowered and vibrant. She told me that the steps were small but that she could feel the difference between the times when she ate junk and when she ate healthy. It was wonderful to give her a mat and a DVD and set up another appointment for next week. It made me think that knowledge is lasting service. I am ever grateful for this body of knowledge we call yoga.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Serving with Metta
This week at the women’s jail, there seemed to be a pretty strong
sadness and depression in a few of the women who usually come. They
didn’t really open up at first as to what was going on, so I started
with some sun salutations that included extra jumps, and soon we were laughing and sweating. That seemed to open the doors for some real talk and real emotions. Our discussion was on metta - loving kindness - to ourselves, to our loved ones, to those who challenge us, and to those who need it. My heart breaks open when I see women who are incarcerated, missing their loved ones, sometimes their children, break down when they think about extending loving kindness to themselves. Even though I haven’t been involuntarily separated from my loved ones, I know how often I've been challenged to keep my self-talk encouraging and positive. I also know how challenging and healing it is to talk about what makes our hearts hurt. It’s always rewarding to see the smiles as women leave to go back to their cells. I wish for them that practicing loving kindness empowers them with hope for a better future.
sadness and depression in a few of the women who usually come. They
didn’t really open up at first as to what was going on, so I started
with some sun salutations that included extra jumps, and soon we were laughing and sweating. That seemed to open the doors for some real talk and real emotions. Our discussion was on metta - loving kindness - to ourselves, to our loved ones, to those who challenge us, and to those who need it. My heart breaks open when I see women who are incarcerated, missing their loved ones, sometimes their children, break down when they think about extending loving kindness to themselves. Even though I haven’t been involuntarily separated from my loved ones, I know how often I've been challenged to keep my self-talk encouraging and positive. I also know how challenging and healing it is to talk about what makes our hearts hurt. It’s always rewarding to see the smiles as women leave to go back to their cells. I wish for them that practicing loving kindness empowers them with hope for a better future.
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