It was a windy Saturday evening, which seemed to blow by so
fast. People flew in from far
away. Others came with platters of
delicious vegetarian fare. All of
them gathered to celebrate Stillwater Yoga and its 30 years of extraordinary
service.
Our attire honored the occasion. In typical yoga-class-fashion we showed our respect for the studio by leaving our shoes outside the
door. Each pair distinguished our individuality with its varied colors, fabrics and forms - yet when we walked into the studio we united as one. White table cloths on round tables invited students and teachers to
gather in union over a meal.
Maitre (friendliness), Karuna (compassion), Muditā (Delight)
and Upecksā (Equanimity): the four remedies to overcome the obstacles yoga
aspirants face, all came alive that evening. Stories naturally filled the room with how students first came to Stillwater. Many other stories were handwritten to fill the pages of a commemorative book.
No matter what the tale the outcome seemed the same.
When illness or pain brought them, there was some sort of
relief found that made them stay.
When sadness or uncertainty brought them there was a new sense of purpose
or steadiness gained. Even those
that came for the exercise found a shift they weren’t expecting
that kept them coming back for more.
The power of Stillwater runs deep and behind it all is a
woman whose unwavering allegiance to BKS Iyengar’s method of yoga has kept the
lights on in Georgia: Kathleen Pringle.
Only weeks ago, she was honored with a Senior Level of certification
from BKS himself. As my readers know that's an incredible accomplishment.
We celebrated this benchmark of time and accomplishment, along with three decades
of Stillwater teachers devotedly teaching those of us suffering from Vyādhi (sickness), Styāna (lack of
mental disposition for work), Saṁśaya (doubt and indecision), Pramāda
(indifference or insensibility), Ālasya (laziness), Avirati (desire), Bharānti
Darśana (false knowledge, illusion), Alabdha Bhūmikatva (failure to attain
continuity of thought or concentration so that reality can’t be seen),
Anavasthitattva (instability in holding on to concentration which has been
attained after long practice) ---not to mention: Duhkha (pain) Daurmansya
(despair), angamejayatava(unsteadiness of body) and Śvāsa-praśvāsa (unsteady
respiration). It's seems like a lot for
any teacher to take on but Kathleen knows the remedies and how to help us
experience them at Stillwater.
Sometimes... like we did that night, we can experience them all in moment when
we least expect it.
Thank you, Kathleen! Namaste.
Thank you, Kathleen! Namaste.
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