I was feeling stiff, out of shape, exhausted and full. It was the perfect recipe for a horrible hot yoga class. But after a week on the road I had a few hours to spare and I decided to go to one of my favorite studios in New York – Bikram Yoga Lower East Side.
The owner of the studio – Tricia Donegan – taught class and she seemed to have endless nuggets of wisdom pouring from her. At one point I wish I had a pencil and paper to write down some of the things she had said, knowing that I wouldn’t remember many of them after class. Here are a few of the lessons that stuck with me:
Work on getting really good at being YOU.
I never think about getting good at something that is so … personal. It’s always tangible – I want to be a good swimmer, I want to learn Spanish, I want to win the Alcatraz Invitational next year (I mean, who doesn’t?!). What would happen if we all focused some of our energy on being really good at being ourselves?
The world needs you, that’s why you’re here.
BOOM. Let that one sink in for a bit. I’m in yoga class because the world needs me? I have often said that I don’t think yogis need to smile during class. Self work is some serious shit. Where else can you face all of your crazy mental thoughts, self consciousness, self doubt and complete narcissism all in 90 minutes? And then purge it all to (hopefully) become a better person?
Even if people can’t hear your thoughts, they can feel them.
Do you ever pause to think about how your thoughts are affecting the people around you? Do they make you tense to be around? Do they make you warm, open and loving?
There is more than one person in this room who wants you to succeed.
Sometimes it’s hard to support yourself when you’re in a hot yoga class. And in those moments your teacher is often the one who is cheering you on. What I haven’t always considered is that even in a studio, where I don’t know anyone else in the room, there are other people who also want me to succeed. What a wonderful sense of community we can create, in a room full of strangers!
I don’t know the details, but I understand.
Teachers see the “best” and the “worst” of us. And while Trisha doesn’t know the details, she can empathize with the struggle many of us face during our 90 minute practice. I thought this was a humble way of making us feel safe and understood. This sense of empathy is something I would like to harness more inside the yoga studio and beyond.
Every time we practice yoga, we learn something about ourselves. And sometimes we’re lucky enough to have teachers along the way that speak to us when we’re willing to listen. Thank you Tricia for a powerful 90 minutes.
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I have been to 7 bikram classes and thought it was crazy the first 3 times. I still get dizzy sometimes but my teacher is great at keeping me going. Your blog articles are really enlightening. Keep up the good work.
Thanks John, glad they are helpful. And keep it up!