Client Testimonial (continued)
Yoga – a door to a new way of living
Last November I needed a shopping cart to get out of the car and go into the store. Now i feel best walking 18 holes of golf while i play. How miraculous is that?
I am a mid-life woman and I have been relatively active in the last 10 years, but when work required me to be indoors for eleven weeks last summer, I knew I was getting into trouble. The neurologists found significant bond spurs on my spine. Sciatica pain made sitting and even turning over in bed excruciating at times. I knew I had to do something other than medicate myself and go to therapy.
I began yoga with Jonathan in December, and have attended almost every class, three times a week, since then. Within a month I could move more easily, although I still had pain, and was comfortable in most positions. By the middle of February I could walk the golf course, and even though my studies allow me to play only once a week, I can play to my handicap because my body is no longer rigid.
My body is flexible and so is my mind. Being in "the moment" and noticing my body and being in "tune" with it is coming more and more naturally. I've always had lots of "nervous energy", but now I have stamina. I just find that I have the endurance to do more – physically, emotionally, academically. I have more patience, more peace, more joy than almost any time in my life, and I really believe it is because yoga feeds my body, mind, and spirit. For me, yoga is body prayer – restoring me to a centering place of acceptance and surrender.
The "practice" of yoga has worked for me for a number of reasons. First, I made a commitment to show up every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for an hour's class. I feel that the "energy" of working with others really feeds my own, even though one of the beauties of yoga is that you can carry it anywhere and do it on your own without needing equipment.
Second, Jonathan is the only teacher I;ve ever had or known who gave me permission to "underachieve" – no competition. How lovely. Jonathan is an exceptional teacher – he intuitively knows those students who are timid, skilled, wary, or need support. He makes everyone feel that this is just the right place for them to be at the present moment. His voice is beautiful and tender and quieting and reassuring.
At the end of each hour, we all feel that we have each shared a unique and life-giving experience. I can't imagine not making this class and this practice a priority for the rest of my life.
Thank you,
Linda Harper