This weekend I had the extraordinary privilege of studying with Father Joe Pereira. A Catholic priest for 51 years, Father Joe also studied closely with B.K.S. Iyengar for more than 40 years. He has been sharing the wisdom and healing power of Iyengar yoga around the world, while harnessing its therapeutic benefits to treat addiction and manage HIV/AIDS at the 69 treatment centres run by Kripa Foundation, which he founded in 1981 (http://www.kripafoundation.org/).
For those who are unfamiliar, B.K.S. Iyengar is widely known in the West as the father of modern yoga. The form of Hatha yoga he introduced is firmly rooted in the eight-limbed path set out for us by the sage Patanjali around 400 CE. Iyengar yoga is often thought of as alignment-based asana, but it is so much more than a physical alignment practice – guided by the moral and ethical compass of the Yamas and Niyamas, it seeks to align the external body with the internal environment; it enables us to forge a union of body, mind and spirit, and from that place of union we can discover our connection to the Universe, to the God of our understanding, to that which is greater than ourselves. We come to realise that we are not separate from one another; this existence is shared, and we must live it together with compassion and lovingkindness.
To me, the importance of lifelong learning cannot be overstated. Our minds and bodies thrive when we are learning something new. Though I am a teacher of yoga and meditation, I will always be first and foremost a student. I try to approach each day with an open heart and an open mind, receptive to whatever lessons that day may bring. When I take a class, a workshop, or training, I invite a beginner’s mind as I explore with wonder all that is being shared. In the presence of someone with such depth and breadth of knowledge like Father Joe, who is extraordinarily wise, compassionate, humble, and kind, I am filled with gratitude for his teachings; like a sponge I absorb all of the wisdom he shares and welcome it deep within my bones, deep into my heart so that it may infuse and inform my practice and my daily life on and off the mat.
There are lessons to be learned in every moment – we need only pay attention and open ourselves to the wisdom in the world around us. When we learn something new it changes our perspective; we look at our life, or aspects of it, in a different way. These teachings can come to us in myriad forms, through myriad channels, anytime and anywhere. Though we can have powerful learning experiences in formal settings like courses and workshops, some of the most profound lessons come when we least expect them – in our encounters with friends and loved ones, with unfamiliar people and places, when we are communing with nature. The common denominator between all of these learning opportunities is that we have opened ourselves to possibility, and we have done so with presence, with mindful awareness, with a willingness to release our attachment to what was and welcome something new.
For these latest teachings from Father Joe, I am deeply grateful. When you look back upon your life, at the important lessons you have learned, who are the teachers and what are the experiences that taught you most? For even the seemingly small lessons we can give humble thanks, for every lesson we learn informs our journey, shapes who we are, and helps us determine the next step along our path.