Dear Homegrown Yogis,
If you’ve been to our Warner Robins studio, you won’t have any difficulty imagining what I am about to describe to you. It’s a little after 5pm on Wednesday, and I am trying to take a left out of the studio parking lot onto S Houston Lake Road. I wait and wait and wait, and there is just no break in the traffic. And then suddenly, I see it – a tiny break in the traffic and just one little car that I can most definitely beat. And I do beat it but not by far. That one little car makes one super long and loud honk at me, and the driver throws up her hands. And what do I do… obviously throw up my hands even more aggressively than that driver and yell to her, “Thanks [insert not so nice word here].”
Fast forward a week and there I am in the exact same spot. And once again I do beat the car, and once again that driver is not happy at all with me. This time, though, the honk and dirty look makes me awkwardly smile and wave and give a little look that’s meant to convey – “I’m really sorry. I know that was [insert not so nice word here] of me to cut in front of you, and thank you for slowing down.”
A few lessons here: one, I need to stop trying to make a left out of the studio – it’s just not a good situation for me =) And the second more important lesson, I’m not a bad person – I’m just a human person.
I write this because I’ve heard a lot of people say that 2020 has really brought out the worst in people. I’d argue, though, it’s really just brought out the human in people. 2020 has been a year of trying to turn left out of the studio onto S Houston Lake Road on a really busy day. Some days, the stress has made people ugly and angry and mean. Some days, it’s made people humbled and generous and kind.
So here is where I get curious as a yogi. What was the difference between me on the two days where my reactions were so opposite of each other? On the day that I was angry, I hadn’t slept well in a few days. I was focused on a frustrating conversation I had earlier in the day. I hadn’t talked to my best friend or drank much water or done yoga or spent any time doing things that fuel me personally. On the day that I was humbled and kind instead: I had left the studio after having a fun and creative conversation with one of our teachers. I was focused on a new podcast I had just started. I had been meditating and doing yoga that week. I still hadn’t slept well or drank much water, but really – who does that regularly? =)
December is a crazy month, and we have no idea what final tricks 2020 will have in store for us. What I invite you to do then is what I will also be doing. Knowing that I will most definitely have these left-turn moments again, what can I do for myself so that what comes out is the type of human that I truly want to be?
With love,
Rachel