A Wise Yogini

I want to introduce you to Liz who practices at Santosha Yoga.  She has a great sense of humor, always has a smile on her face and is just fun to be around. The fact that she is 95 years old and does her practice sitting in a chair while the rest of the class moves about is a minor technicality. 

She comes every Thursday night with her caregiver, Karen, who has been a student of mine for quite a few years.  A few months back Karen asked if Liz could attend the class, even though it wasn't a chair yoga class, just to get her out of the house and keep her active.  She has been here every since.  She can't hear all that well but does her best to follow the rest of the class.  Every so often I ask if she is doing OK and with a twinkle in her eyes she gives me thumbs up.

She has had her share of hardship. She married her husband after he was blinded in WWI, lost a son and has had her own battles with cancer.  But yet when ever you talk to her she has the most amazing positive attitude, I could listen to her stories for hours.  She also does a mean boat pose, she has core strength that youngsters’ in their 40's don't have.

Last Thursday we were talking about her marriage and how she managed to stay married to the same man for over 70 years.  She said that one reason that they were together so long was they didn't kill each other and then she laughed as she winked at me.  But then she became a little more serious and said because they never took each other for granted and always respected each other. 

I remind my students that our teachers and teaching come to us in many different ways and forms and we have to be open to that. Liz is a wise woman and I can't wait for Thursdays for her teachings as she has become my teacher as her wisdom reminds me to.... just breathe.