[trans-fer-mey-shun]

Today marks the final day of the month long transformation at Kula Annex, "Living the Bhagavad Gita". As I shared at the closing circle last evening, I was introduced to this book way back in the day. I remember my first skimming of this text, ensuring that I got the "gist" of it, but the idea of God still came with lots of baggage. It wasn't until I had the opportunity to meet one of my teachers, Noah Maze, last year in Austin, Texas during an advanced teacher training led by him and Christina Sell that I truly found the desire to study this great text in more depth. Noah and I were chatting about certain teaching techniques, and he asked me about the Gita. I looked into the eyes of this great teacher, hating the fact that I could not answer the question, I simply stared blankly, uncomfortable with this unknown.
I proceeded the past fall/winter season to open up four different translations of the BG, with commentary from Douglas Brooks and Ram Dass to name a few, and was able to finally grasp the message of this stellar book. God became more of a concept of our own consciousness, the light within. Then May began with a challenge to live it, to work with the teachings within your physical practice, within your meditations, and within your actions off the mat. I remember looking confidently towards this month, knowing that it would be a joy to weave the BG into my classes, to take part in this exciting journey. I knew this text, I was comfortable with it, this would be a breeze! As the past month began to unravel it's incredible tale, I was surprised to see that the BG worked it's merry way outside of the classroom, into the halls of the studio, with deep, heartfelt questions posed by students and teachers alike. As the conversation expanded, I began to notice topics such as dharma (our purpose), and karma (action) pop up throughout my life outside of the studio. Within my interactions with my roommate, my friends, my family, it seemed like my world was pulsating with the desire to comprehend, to understand why do we do what we do, and should we attach ourselves to our successes or failures? How do we know what our purpose is, and how can we differentiate between our dharma and when we act upon the dharma of another?
This month, through it's ups and downs, surprises and celebrations, became a vast, flowing conversation between me and the outside world. From poker nights, to brief encounters in line for my coffee, to outdoor patio sun, I acknowledged and accepted this transformation for what is was to me. A deeper connection to the world around me, and the people within it.
I like to say it's due to a strong tapas (zeal, striving) on my part, but I do have the hints of an ascetic within me. I can easily dive into the discipline of yoga study, nose in a book, my eyes closed on my mat. The world within is a vast, incredibly beautiful and light-filled space, and I can set up camp within for a while. When Ram Dass says, "my life is my practice", I can easily nod, and reply "my practice is my life".
This last day of May, I contemplate where I am, and know that I have a choice. I can work the path of the guru, expanding my scriptural knowledge, teaching then returning to my self-made cave of comfort, meditating, practicing this incredible gift of tools that is yoga. For what? Well, enlightenment, I guess? But as Manorama so potently quoted, "Q: Guruji how does one know one is enlightened? Guruji: Its very easy. When one feels one is a first class fool one is enlightened. When one feels one is first class enlightened that is otherwise." We are beings of light, so I can choose to contemplate and expand my light, most definitely, but I can also choose to participate. To see the light within each other, to truly dive into the depths of life as much as I swim within. So, as strong as I have become, as connected to my inner power as I am, I choose to embrace with as much zeal the discipline of life! The study of connections around me, relationships with others.
So I thank you my kula (community/chosen family), for my students becoming my teachers, for supporting me during this transformation, this river of love, interconnectedness and bliss. Peace, joy, love.