Storytelling is a fundamental human need
I am shining a light every time I write
I never intended to share my yoga teacher training story. It was only after the story ended that I realized I had a story to share.
I certainly wasn’t going to share with anyone during it, I often wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into, and if I would even finish the program. It was filled with some highs but a whole lot of lows, and it felt like I was better off keeping it to myself. I quite literally limped to the finish line.
Whether we are at the giving or receiving end of it, I believe that storytelling is a fundamental human need. Our ancestors gathered around the glow of campfire to tell stories. Fast forward to present day and I would bet you’re consuming this alone with the glow of your mobile device. In the midst of a Meaning Crisis fueled by a loneliness epidemic, in no small part due to the normalization of literal and metaphorical masking, storytelling is the key to initiate conversations and connection that is more important than ever before. I know every time I publish I am likely feeding The Machine, but I trust that genuine storytelling creates a heart-connection that may be imitated but never duplicated by AI.
Isn’t it ironic that we have access to more information than ever, and yet, there seems to be a shortage of knowledge? A full-spectrum famine, from common sense to wisdom. We need more Teachers!! And I don’t mean more of those teachers that tell you what to do and have all the answers. I mean the kind of teachers that can accompany you on your path to finding your own “Inner Teacher” and discovering who (or what?!) you really are. There are many different names for this “Inner Teacher” and part of getting to know it is deciding what language you use to describe it – intuition, body intelligence, inborn A.I. (Ancient Intelligence), Spirit, Soul, Higher Self…the list is endless, really.
For those readers who are curious about becoming a yoga teacher but aren’t sure when or where to start, I hope my story gives you an inspiring peek into the Pranakriya experience. I don’t receive any referral bonuses or sponsorship for promoting them. I do it on my own accord as a way to help support up-and-coming teachers and the lineage I am honored to be a part of. The yoga industry is rife with scandals and greed like any other, and it’s important for prospective teachers to educate themselves about the path they are pursuing. And if you are content to remain a student, maybe you will glean some insights from “seeing how the sausage is made,” as they say, and know whether I am the type of teacher you want to learn from.
I could keep my writing private – that would be far easier in many ways than putting it out there. But I know that every time I have the courage to publish my authentic voice, it shines a light into a dark space – my own darkness and maybe yours too, if you choose to keep reading. And if there is another thing the world could really use more of right now, it’s more light bearers.
Courageous Authenticity
It makes my knees shake
My teeth chatter
My hands tremble
It takes my breath away
Not just a gasp, but also a squeeze to empty
Followed by a big breath in before it comes
It’s coming out to be heard
It scares you
It humbles you
It emboldens you too
Prime your mind to retrieve it
Prepare your ears to receive it
And when the heart breaks, you’re ready to believe it
Once the seed is planted
It’ll find a way to grow
Relentless.
Shh… Listen.
As the words cross your lips
Never to be bottled up again
A cork past its prime
Crumbles, releases
Here it comes
Follow the trickle to the upswell
This is Truth
Witness Your Self becoming
Who You Are
