AcroYoga and Living For Today

The final exam for our yoga training is coming up on Sunday. Receiving a passing grade of 70% or better is one of the requirements for successful course completion. The test will require a lot of memorization of various things, many of which I’m comfortable with, but certainly not all of them. Amy gave us a choice in class on Saturday to either review test materials with her or to attend Tatiana’s acroyoga workshop. Three of my classmates and I went to the workshop while the rest stayed and reviewed, and I am quite happy that I made the decision that I did.

Tatiana has incredible energy surrounding her. She is a super advanced yogi and her classes are intense but lively and lighthearted. She doesn’t take herself too seriously. In her workshop we worked on partnering exercises, the most exciting of which was the airplane pose. I had several opportunities to be the base and the flyer, and I’m pleased to report that I was never dropped nor did I drop anyone. It was such an awesome feeling to be up in the air like that! I also learned a few massage-type things to use as well that feel really good. I would like to maybe pursue a training program in massage therapy. I love making people feel good.

The lesson I took from the day though was just as beneficial. When Amy gave us the choice, it didn’t take me long to make the decision. Of course I want to pass the test, and I would have benefited from a review, but having a unique experience is more important to me. Seen from this perspective, it’s all about the difference between goals and intentions. Let me explain. Often at the beginning of class a yoga instructor will invite his or her students to set an intention for the class. This was always a little confusing to me, so when I found an article on the topic on Yoga Journal’s website I printed it out and read it. What the article explained was that an intention is not the same as a goal. A goal is a future oriented thing, for example, I want to get a promotion, or I would like to be able to sit in lotus. An intention is focused on the here and now: I want to be more present or mindful; I want to have more compassion; etc.

So now I look back to my intention for starting the training program. Was it to pass the test and successfully complete the training? No it was not, however it was my goal upon deciding to do the training program that I would like to receive my certificate. On the other hand my intention, or one of my intentions, was to try new and unique things. All this stuff wasn’t going through my head at the time we had to choose. Instead what I thought was, in 10 years I’m going to remember this workshop but I’m not going to remember reviewing for the test for two and a half hours. The fact that my thinking mind was present enough and plugged into my intention in this way is proof positive that the yoga is working for me and helping to change me for the better.