"Healing Is Not The Same As Curing."
Even yoga teachers are creature of habits. And bias.
There are many yoga teachers whose classes I will not take. Usually because I have taken them once, gotten annoyed with how they teach, then go out of my way to avoid their classes.
But also there are class times that I will just avoid because it feels too high maintenance to attend during that time. Which is how I have gone over eight months at my current studio never having encountered one of the previous owners of the studio who still teaches a few times a week.
Until this past Friday.
I had a fairly open schedule (meaning, "no scheduled meetings") and could get away midday for the noon yoga class. She happened to be teaching it.
Right away, when I walked in, I liked her. She knew who I was and was kind. We chatted briefly. Then I went into the room.
The temperature was perfect. Only 103 degrees and less than 40% humidity. She taught the benefits of the postures - something many teachers do not do. (I do, though.)
So overall I had a really great class. I pushed myself deeply in Standing Bow. I did every posture, both sets. (Which I haven't done in a really long time.) But I couldn't get myself all the way back in Camel pose - something that had been one of my best postures, up until about a year ago.
After class, I caught up with the teacher. She told me I had a beautiful practice.
"Your experience really shows," she said.
I thanked her. And then brought up how I am stuck in a few poses. Camel being one of them.
"My left hip flexor is stuck," I said. "Some energy isn't flowing in there. And it doesn't release and allow me to go back."
She brought up her challenges recently with postures. And we chatted about the body aging.
"I need to foam roll the hip flexor. Get it healed," I said.
"Maybe this is just where your practice is at for now?" she said. "Ram Dass once said, 'Healing is not the same as curing.' Maybe you just need to accept the practice where it's at in your body. That's healing."
Valid point.
Not everything needs to be cured.
But everything can be healed.
A motto for aging.
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