It's all about Perspective

On Sunday, we had our second teacher training course. After spending the last few days reflecting on what I had learned from the session, it has become clear to me that a message of ‘perspective’ appeared over and over again albeit in very different ways. I am thankful for being open to these teachings and learning from them as I truly feel that the lessons I discovered from Sunday's session will be invaluable in guiding both my teaching and personal yoga practice. What’s even better is that I have noticed a real change in my daily awareness. There has been a subtle shift in my ‘thinking’....a true change in perspective.


It all started as we began to learn how to give adjustments. I taught  Virabhadrasana II(Warrior II) to the rest of our small group, once everyone was in the pose, I began to  walk around the room and give the appropriate adjustments. I looked at each person from the front and made sure that they were in good alignment and doing the pose correctly. As this was my first 'go' at doing this, and as my fellow trainees are seasoned yogis, I only briefly glanced around the room and gave a few small adjustments where needed.


After each 'practice teach' we have a quick round of feedback. This time, our teacher pointed out that not only is it important to look at people from the front, but also to look at them from the side and from behind. Getting the full picture of the person in the pose will highlight where they may need a bit of tweaking. In addition to this, he suggested that it is also helpful to assess the class as a whole by standing in the corner of the room and taking everyone in from a distance. This little bit of distance creates space and gives the teacher a wider perspective to work from, which can be helpful for assessing where your attention is needed most. These two bit of feedback may seem simple, but I now realise how essential they are to teaching effectively and efficiently.

Over lunch we were discussing our homework, which had been to study the Yamas (universal morality) and Niyamas (personal observances), set out by Patanjali as part of his Eight Limbs of Yoga. I had been struggling to get my head around the Niyama: Tapas (disciplined use of our energy, or right-effort). I mentioned that I found it difficult not to feel guilty if I let my home practice slip or wasn’t able to attend class for one reason or another that week (and destructive feelings such as guilt, are certainly not what want when practicing the Yamas!).

It was made clear to me that Tapas can be achieved through doing all of the normal things we do every day, such as looking after and caring for children, being a good wife and friend etc...as long as we are directing our energy and paying good attention to what we are doing (remaining present), then we will be practicing Tapas throughout the day.

Having this highlighted, made me realise how important it is to sometimes take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I often become so focussed on one thing or the small details, that I become blind to the bigger picture. Of course, the little things we do every day are important and we should take care to do these with care and awareness. However if we  maintain a broadened outlook whilst engaging in these daily tasks, we will have a more balanced perspective and therefore appreciate and even ENJOY doing the simple things, rather than getting bogged down by the details!

As I go about my day, I try to remind myself that truth or reality is changeable and relative at all times. It is about how you SEE it, how you percieve it, rather than WHAT it is. This is true in yoga practice: one day I might be stiff and sore, the next day flexible and open; Or when looking after the children; Many days are fun and playful, others seem long and taxing; and also within relationships, which are sometimes full of love and intimacy and other times are draining and challenging. "The same wind blows on us all", it is not our life circumstance that determines our happiness or inner state of being, it is our perspective on what life brings our way.  

If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a minute to step out and observe the beautiful blue day sky or  the deep, dark, starry night sky. Recognise and appreciate that it is bright, clear, beautiful and immeasurably vast. These observations remind us that we are just a tiny dot in the infinity of the universe. This does not mean that we are irrelevant, insignificant or unimportant - Quite the opposite!! Appreciating the interconnectedness of all things, and of our role in that interconnectedness, is the key to finding true inner peace.

Namaste. x


“Small adjustments often bring about the biggest change” ~L.W.R

 "We create the world with our thoughts and our perceptions.' This means that the only thing we know about this world we are living in is how we perceive it." ~Buddha

"We all have the ability to respond in any manner we choose. A respons-ability to react to whatever comes our way" ~ L.W.R