Settling Into Being Unsettled

The other day, my yoga instructor asked us to “demand more.” At first I found the request merely ironic – that we should be demanding something from a disciple that is calls for surrender (child’s pose). But in yoga, there are always opposing actions and the practice equally shows us ways to deal with confrontation (warrior pose).I'll never forget a lesson in the duality of yoga when my favorite instructor, Seane Corn (that's her in the photo above) put her career trajectory on hold for a three-month trip to India. She was the most popular teacher at the studio with mat-to-mat classes. She knew that when faced with a void, the universe seeks to fill it. She knew that everything would be changed when she returned. I so admired her for following her heart. It was at a time in my career when I needed to learn how to do this. By her actions, she taught me more than a 10-minute downward dog ever could.When she returned, her class of hardcore, Type A Angelenos was still waiting for her. Externally, nothing had changed. Internally, everything was different. Her class had become softer, quieter and more thoughtful. One by one those students who were searching for a sweat, left and in their place came those who were attracted to her new style. Me? I loved it all and was quite happy to adapt. I had taken her lesson to heart and soul.As we change our energy, what we attract changes.Perhaps it is our fate to never feel completely settled. Blame our nomadic beginnings, our conquering natures, our constant search for bigger and better. Whatever our destiny holds, it seems a foregone conclusion we will always demand more. In Seane's case, she demanded more softness in life. And the void she purposefully created filled in perfectly based on the laws of energy and attraction.Photo: From www.seanecorn.com