| I was reunited with the teachings of the most influential | | | | I took pause upon reading this, thinking about my own |
| yoga teacher I have ever had; Rolf Gates. | | | | children and the guidance I want to give them, the |
| Yup. Me. Yoga. | | | | forms of discipline that I use, and I thought "I'm doing a |
| For those of you who know me, you know that yoga | | | | good job, but can I do better? What about leveraging |
| is a big part of my life. For those of you learning about | | | | that love?" |
| me through these writings you might think, "yoga?" | | | | I hesitate, however, to use that word "leverage." For |
| Last night I received a mass mailing from Rolf about | | | | me it has such negetive connotations, but seeing that it |
| the comings and goings on his website, his blog, and | | | | is so powerful, and children really are born with it, why |
| where he'll be teaching next. Unfortunately for me, Rolf | | | | not use it to everyone's advantage? |
| does most of his teaching back on the Northeast, from | | | | I think about so many different ways of effectively |
| where we moved two years ago. Fortunately for | | | | socializing young children, and feel like we, as a society, |
| everyone, Rolf is still out there teaching. | | | | do a really good job of squashing the effervescence, |
| After receiving this email I scrolled through the blog and | | | | curiosity, and trust out of children. There are so many |
| was reminded of many of the things about Rolf that I | | | | restrictions imposed on children today born out of fear |
| hold so dear. One of the Rolf's prinicipal ideals is how | | | | of terrorism, fear of child predators, fear of fear. Pop |
| love is stronger than fear -- a powerful yogic principal. | | | | culture, mainstream media, and some times our |
| And in reading Rolf's blog I was reminded of another | | | | extended family, send messages that easily lead |
| yogic prinicipal of being kind to yourself, and | | | | parents to over-protect children to a point that they |
| remembering to bring yourself back to the present | | | | are not allowed to be themselves, to be children, to |
| without getting upset with yourself that you strayed | | | | shine brightly. |
| from the present. | | | | But reading Rolf brings me back to that notion that |
| But what struck me most today was Rolf's brief entry | | | | love can conquer all. Is this perspective naive? I guess |
| on "Love." He goes on to write, " I have looked into | | | | that depends on your perspective. But if you follow |
| [my children's] eyes countless times. Their eyes are | | | | yogic principals and remain connected with your Self, |
| always filled with love for me[,] a love that I have not | | | | then you have no need to be paranoid about having |
| earned, they just shine their love on me because they | | | | naive notions of human potential. |
| know of no other way to be. Love is what we are | | | | It's time for me to go give my kids a big hug. |
| born with." | | | | Orgininally publishes at: bentspoon. |