The curious thing about yoga, is that if you find a great class, a class that works with your schedule and you NEVER miss, you usually never miss it because of one thing. The teacher.

This happened to me in Minneapolis, and I actually went to Jude's class twice a week because I loved him so much. He was so insightful and encouraging and even shared a lot about his personal life in order for us to feel connected and free. Well, this same attachment (which is ironic because of the emphasis in yoga of unattachment) has happened here in Denver. Jeremy teaches Candlelight Flow on Wednesday nights and he also teaches Tuesday and Thursdays afternoons. If I am super motivated and MAKE the time, I'll get to see Jeremy twice a week like I saw Jude. But Candlelight on Wednesdays is the class I never miss.

So to my surprise and disappointment tonight when I came in to Samadhi through the rain tonight, Jeremy wasn't there, and a lady was there to sub for him. She told us that we needed to dedicate our practice tonight to Jeremy as he has been on a retreat at which he meditates, just sitting, for 11 hours a day for 10 days. Imagining Jeremy through my class tonight, just sitting and meditating, with only one break for a meal, made me super curious and also dedicated to my practice tonight. If he could sit there and sit in the mountains without moving or speaking for 11 hours while I missed him, just holding my poses for 2-3 breathes, I could certainly give my practice my all tonight. And so happily, even though I missed Jeremy, I did.

Even though teaching at RBN is probably the opposite of peaceful and mindful meditation, the discomfort is quite similar. Things are falling a part dramatically at the school, while teachers know they are leaving and kids know that they are leaving, and everyone just exists with this sense of barely hanging on to the days, ready any second to give up and go home... It's honestly a miserable place to drive to every day.

However, it takes endurance and dedication like meditation. Even when it gets painful or uncomfortable, committing to those students and teaching them A Midsummer Night's Dream and about the Greek gods and goddesses, coaching soccer, helping with the talent show and graduation, all of those things take compassion, care, and endurance of my energy and patience. After a long day of dealing with disrespectful teenagers, and negative adults, I have to find it in me to pursue my extra responsibilities with energy and patience. Focusing on the end goal is unproductive, while embracing the present experiences will give me fulfillment immediately and eventually. Meditating, and releasing worries, cares, the compulsory thoughts that we all have takes energy and patience. But meditating for a sustained time, completely engaged and focused on letting go, gives so much transformation and clarity.

Thank you Jeremy, for helping me make this connection and for a great practice tonight.
C