Talking the talk....walk

Monday night I taught the Immersion at our new Learning Center. My kids tagged along as they sometimes do when I teach in the evenings. We always make a plan at the beginning of class for entertainment and snacking so that they don't interrupt the flow. On Monday, I gave them some cash and told them they could walk around the outside of the building and get a treat after they did their homework. We practiced the walk....good to go. I failed to realize, however, that the doors to the building would lock behind them. They headed out and when they came back, they couldn't get in. I had turned my phone to silent to teach and in a panic (instead of knocking...I was seated literally 20 feet from the door) the kids called their dad...the ex. (yea, I got one of those too.)


He told them to knock. They knocked as if a mass murderer was behind them. Answering the door, I realized they were on the phone with their dad...the ex...and my immediate thought was, "oh boy...here we go...I'm in trouble now". My phone on silent, I knew the nasty-text messages were piling up. After class, I checked my phone. Nothing. Not a single message. Later that night I got a message simply saying to please not let the kids wander strange buildings on their own. I paused and thought that that was probably a good idea.


And then it struck me...


I'm not talking the talk, I'm walking the walk and it's EASY!


In yoga, I frequently speak about how you can only change yourself. You can't change other people. I talk about how the people in your life will shift as you shift. I tell my yogis to be patient. This shifting simply happens. It takes time. It never fails that someone will bring up the fact that they have a terrible relationship with an ex or with a relative and it is driving them to insanity. It pushes all of their buttons and they can't disengage. They are stuck in an exchange of hostility and bitterness. I always tell them to simply start serving the other person. It's called Karma yoga. Just find a way to meet the persons needs. Don't respond to the violence. Disengage, serve and meet them with understanding and compassion.


This is a practice. Just do it. It's hard. It's painful and then it's easy. I usually then go on to tell everyone that they are learning amazing skills of yoga which will help them change themselves. They are becoming more compassionate and understanding. They are learning skills that others do not possess and therefore they have a higher responsibility to set an example and to "be the change." I'm sure it sounds like "blah blah blah" by the end of my speech.


To be honest, it sounds like "blah blah blah" to me too. You see, I also have an ex. I also have some people in my life who are difficult. I still practice Karma Yoga though because I believe in yoga and I know that a shift will occur if I simply practice. I know this in my heart, but I've been doing this for a long time waiting for this shifting.


I locked my kids out of an office building in the dark. They called their dad who was 30 minutes away. They were panicked. He simply told them to knock. I received a gentle reminder one hour later that it probably wasn't a great idea to let your kids roam around unfamiliar buildings at night. I paused and thought, that's a good idea. No drama.


This S#*t totally works!