Ever
since yoga first entered into the West, its teachers and practitioners have
been scrutinized, and the more mainstream it becomes, the bigger the
microscope. The business of yoga, and in many ways rightfully so, is on an even
tighter public surveillance. The cold-as-ice truth is, the judgement within the
yoga realm runs thick like molasses, no different from other businesses or
niche communities. It's far beyond discussing ethics, ancient traditions, or
correct anatomy: it's too this, or too that, the music, or the lack of,
her shorts are too short, the chanting is weird, no, that's NOT how you
pronounce shavasana, oh, and apparently, he eats meat. I'd heard it everyday,
and I'm no saint. Most of us don't mean any harm with our insignificant
comments, but in the end they add up, and it made me want to stay small. For
me, this is often the root of my hesitance to grow, my shame, and my irrational worries. I've needed to face it.
The
microscope.
What
I've realized is that whenever you stand up, you're going to be judged. Point
blank. Have you seen the comments on celebrities' IG's or FB pages? They're
painful to read! The disconnect that the modern-day means of communication
harbors is massive. There is little to zero accountability, which makes these
media platforms a bloody massacre. So, the question is - can you stand up
anyways - especially if it's something worth getting on your feet for? I know I
don't want to live my life on my bum bum. Most of the time I prefer to stand vs
sit and run vs walk. And that was that.
All this resurfaced again as I've been working on the launch of my new facebook profile (check it out: www.facebook.com/monalisagodfreyyoga) --- I asked myself again: Who do you think you are?
And this is my answer.
I'm
a young woman who loves yoga. It changes me, for the better, everyday. When
given the gift, the opportunity, to share this love, I am elevated. I only
teach what I practice and what I've personally experienced. I am a student,
first and foremost. I certainly don't know everything. In fact, I don't know
the half of it, and maybe never will. I'm far from the best or the most seasoned,
but I am passionate and willing to share my humble experience. I'm not the most
advanced or flexible, but I'll fall and laugh with you. I am on the same
journey as you, and willing to share my path. And I want to learn from yours,
and learn with you.