My certifications for teaching yoga and Ayurveda are through the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. I've had the amazing experience of getting to sit in front of Deepak and learn from him. The first workshop I ever went to was called "Seduction of Spirit". I believe we were in Texas or Florida...I really can't recall now. There were well over 300 of us there to learning to practice meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
Now let me tell you, no one goes all the way from Ohio to Texas or Florida for an entire week to learn how to heal themselves unless something nasty is going on in their life. My life was a wreck at the time. I had suffered a back injury that left me in chronic pain and depressed. My marriage was falling apart. I was wallowing in the abject misery of my existence. If I had not had my kids to think of, I would have driven off a cliff. Needless to say, I was very focused on me and not to concerned with the other 299 folks there.
Now this is a seven day event. I think we were on about day 3 and I was already starting to shift. I was getting excited and could envision that the sun would come up over that horizon every day of my life and it would be good. Every time Deepak walked in, I just knew I was going to get something awesome. Day 3 Deepak walks in and sits down. Instead of lecturing, he opened the floor to questions. That's when she stood up.
She stood up in front of 300 people who were there to only hear Deepak's wise words and she started talking about her life. She talked about her bad marriage, her crappy job, her needy kids and her poor health. She talked for 20 minutes about her freakin' life! That's eternity in workshop time. I kept looking at Deepak and mentally screaming for him to interrupt and shut her the hell up. Lord!!! He did nothing. He let her go on and on and on. I nearly blew an artery! Finally, she winded down. Finally, she stopped talking.
Deepak paused. Deepak looked at her. Deepak took the microphone up to his lips. Deepak said.......
"So?"
The room of 300 people went silent. I went silent. A blanket of total silence and awareness enveloped me. I thought..."Holy shit...that was cold.....hmmmmmm....So? So what? so so so so so so so.....so what? her life sucks...my life sucks...300 people's life suck right now or we wouldn't be here. Her story is different than mine, but its the same frickin' story. Drama and misery and blame. Sit down. Shut up and do your work. DO YOUR WORK!"
Everyone has a story. Yours is special and unique because you are special and unique, yet they are all the same in that the cure is the same. The cure for every single human story is the same. That cure is what we are doing in our 28 day body, mind & spirit makeover. Meditate. Move. Make good choices. Awaken your Spirit.
I love Deepak so I have to follow up with the fact that after his long dramatic pause, he did speak to this woman's suffering in a very kind and compassionate way. He is truly a caring a man. He is also a man that expects each person to take responsibility for their life. He expects you to do your work.
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