#mobileom

Lessons from the Mat from a Mobile Om Yogi

By Amaury Nora

I hadn’t expected to see her again. Yet there she was warmly greeting everybody coming into the yoga studio. My heart picked up speed, perspiration moistening my palms. I wanted to run, but my body froze. I closed my eyes, hoping she and everybody I saw was a figment of my imagination, the result of too many late nights. But when I opened them, there they were standing before me like a bad dream.

With the door open, I shivered, remembering the first time I entered the studio. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of those memories. Hot and cold thoughts raged like a tornado in my head, silencing the crowd noise taking place inside Mobile Om’s Om Base.

With a defeated sigh, I entered the studio.

Gripping my yoga mat, I glided pass the crowd like a ghost, bare feet faintly scuffing across the cold cement floor. Past the crowds, I find a spot at the furthest corner of the room. At least I thought.

I unroll my mat and slowly sit down, hoping my knee joints don’t sound like a fourth of July celebration gone horribly wrong. Looking around, I began to feel a mixture of anxiety and a sense of wonderment. The more I focused on my breathing; a sense of calm began to wash over me. Is this what it means to be one with the mat? Did my mat become a security blanket?

A few minutes passed and there she was again, my first yoga teacher, calling for everyone’s attention. I was hoping to avoid her after my embarrassing first day at yoga class. No avoiding her now. Closing my eyes and I continued focusing on my breathing, suddenly I felt a mental shift. Whatever fear I had about her dissipated like a cloud of smoke. As I opened my eyes, I no longer saw her as just a yoga instructor, but a human being with hopes and dreams and experiences and fears.

Suddenly, I could feel this overwhelming sense of exhilaration and accomplishment taking over around my chest. It was then; I had a sudden moment of clarity. I realized this was my yoga practice, this is about me—only I know what is best for me at this moment.

Although it has been a couple of months since I started practicing yoga, I can already see how yoga is making me become more aware about myself and life. Pema Chödrön can sum the life lesson I took from that day:

“We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder.”

Don’t let life harden you. Let go. There is tenderness, beauty, and grace in being alive.

- Amaury

One of our beautiful instructors, Kayleigh Miller, is a musician by day, yogi and yoga teacher by night. We love the unique and loving approach she brings to her classes, always reminding students to listen to their bodies from compassion and care. We have invited her to be a regular contributor to our blog, to give her insight into yoga, anatomy and self-care. Come out and meet her this Saturday at her Shoulder Shakti workshop at Mana House. 

"It took me months to get the courage to go to my first yoga class back in 2007- mainstream media led me to believe it was for only thin, beautiful, and flexible women. Yet, my first yoga class was with a fabulous, hilarious, and delightful man, (whom I eventually did my first teacher training with) and my class was filled with bodies of all sizes and shapes and ages. I’m so glad I finally got the courage to try yoga, and that I was able to find a teacher and studio that supported me as a I began my practice.    Yoga means many things to many people, and everyone finds their niche within the wide scope of movement, breath, and meditation practices. As a musician, I’m drawn to learning anatomy and biomechanics to help students move safely in their bodies, especially if they are recovering from an injury or have an overuse pattern. While I started with dynamic forms of yoga, I find the most solace in slower, more mindful practices, and love Yoga Tune Up® and therapy ball work for bringing me home into my own body in new and creative ways. I’m additionally training to become a Restorative Exercise Specialist with biomechanist Katy Bowman, which is honing my movement and kinesiology skills on a whole new level. When I’m not in the yoga space, I’m often walking or running on the Riverwalk, cuddling with my blind chihuahua mix, Missy, or at work in the San Antonio Symphony, where I play viola.   Above all, I want students to move better in their bodies and have fun doing so!" - Kayleigh

Join Kayleigh at Mana House this Saturday from 2-4 pm for her Shoulder Shakti Workshop. 

We are excited to introduce our community to Pauline Greer life design, a movement, helping others set goals through the power of choice. In light of our collaboration this weekend, we invited Pauline Greer to be a guest on our blog, so you can learn a little more about what she's up to. 

The enrollment of others in our journey is key to our success. Enrollment puts us in alignment with being open to help, and accountability for what we say we are going to do. As I start this new adventure of creating a movement/brand, I would like to take this time to enroll everyone in my intention and to define myself.  In May 2014 I chose to create a movement/brand around helping people design a life they love. Through daily social media post and monthly goal setting workshops I will offer others space to share their passions. This process has already guided me to step out of my comfort zone and I’ve found it is where I feel most alive. I know we can all do the same for each other through the power of enrollment and the defining of ourselves.

- Pauline

Who is Pauline Greer?

She is fun, lively, vibrant and courageous. Pauline Greer is an inspiration to all around her. She is a balance of humility and ferocity. Pauline Greer declares to draw out the greatness and creative genius in everyone she meets. Her core values are connection/creation/joy/gratitude/freedom.

How do you define yourself today? And how can I help?