A CALL TO PRESENCE: TIMELESS CONNECTION FOR GENERATIONS TO COME BY SARABETH JACKSON
COURTESY SARABETH JACKSON
living in the moment
Sarabeth Jackson and her friend, Mary
I
’ll never forget meeting 87-year-old Mary in a yoga class on my first trip to Hawaii. Her mat was right in front of mine, and though I did my best to keep my focus on my practice, I couldn’t help but watch in amazement as her arthritic toes held her body in a graceful Warrior 3 pose. I could tell from her energy and the way she transitioned through sequences, she had grit. She didn’t let being a little wobbly stop her. As we were rolling up our mats, I heard her in conversation with a local, saying she had just returned from a solo cruise to Alaska and how good it felt to get back to the studio. That was it; I had to know her. I asked if I could buy her a tea and she joyfully suggested we meet at the local coffee shop. We spent a solid hour sitting outside talking among the neighborhood roosters. She sipped her mocha frap as the summer sun came through the tree leaves above us and spoke passionately about motherhood, our political climate, feminism, intuition, and of course, yoga. She found yoga in her 60s. When I found out her age, I told her my grandfather was 92 and that he tries his best to stay with the times, using Facebook and other online platforms. Aghast, she made a face and said, “Oh no, I don’t need any of that!” I laughed, and replied, “Tell me more about that.” I can remember her tone as clear as day; she almost sang her response. “Well, I’d rather be present! I have this sky! And this bush over here! And you! I’m here connecting with you directly, now why would I want anything less than that?”
14 IT'S JUST YOGA MAGAZINE | CENTRAL FLORIDA | FALL/Winter 2019
