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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Aren't we just chocolate m&m's?

Classes in JDC began summer break today, the jail staff as I arrived asked if we could do Yoga all day---sure I said, they laughed I was totally serious---a great yoga practice, some meditation, some restoratives, lunch inversions---it would be transforming. ;)

My theme for the week is Celebration of You--it took the girls class the first full 1/2 hour to fully embrace that in themselves there is goodness worthy of celebrating. They stretched and worked out poses and finally their faces softened and they opened to something bigger, and found that place of tenderness and goodness inside themselves. The hard edges of their lives receeded for a moment, and the light shined out--it was an amazing experience, to witness, and a true testiment to the power of Yoga.

One of the guards has come the last couple of times to do Yoga with us, she is absolutely beautiful and tries so hard to get everything right--Today I noticed that she also softened a little and then it hit me--we all have a shell --a protective candy coating just like an m&m. When we were born we were tender, sweet, chocolaty---and as life went on, we found that if we didn't protected ourselves our tenderness and sweetness could melt so we dipped ourselves slowly into a candy coating--thin yet won't rub off easily. We are still somewhat sweet on the outside, but the really good stuff is under the candy shell of protection---and today for a moment, the girls broke open and their sweetness shined forward and for that moment the girls learned that nothing melted and they were safe to show the tender sweet side they were born with. I Love Yoga for this reason, it gives everyone the courage and strength to know that they are good, they are worthy and they are beautiful no matter how many layers they have covered ourselves with!!!!

On the way home from the jail, I went and bought a big bag of m&m's and remembered each of the girls today and how in the bag of candy like the bowl of life we are all one big sweet chocolatey m&m!!!!!

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