Previously On Martinez Yoga…

This Thursday’s class at Visions was another goodie. To be honest, I’m a bit nervous the morning of the class. I’m green teaching and/or assisting a Chair Yoga class to the blind or visually impaired, but fortunately the classes are going fine. I want to do a good job and help the teacher out as much as possible since she is blind. It’s funny. I’m a little nervous at the beginning, but when the class is over I always leave feeling good. In fact, great. The teacher is happy. The students are happy. I’m happy.

Thursday the teacher asked me to teach the class a new mantra. I taught them:

Asato ma sat gamaya
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya
Mrityor ma amritham gamaya

Lead me from the unreal to the real
From the darkness to the light
From mortality to immortality

They were a little like, “Huh? What’s this? This is hard to say.” I can understand that. Doing something new that you’ve never done before can be a challenge and feel weird. I told them what they were saying in English. When I got to the line, “From the darkness to the light”, they perked up in their chairs and asked if we can chant it again in Sanskrit. We did it five times. Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya. From the darkness to the light. When they chanted that line their body language changed. I can’t describe how, but they internalized and felt the light in their bodies. For me, it brought a new meaning to, “From the darkness to the light”, given that I have my sight.  That was a pleasant gift they gave me.

At they end of class they thanked me for sharing the mantra with them, but I have to thank them for allowing and trusting me to be a part of their yogic process.

As usual, I left the class feeling good. Namaste, Visions!

Photos by Anna Rose