THE OSCILLATING KITE AND THE KITE HOLDER BY SUSAN TURIS
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hen I started on the path of teaching yoga, I had no idea that my life was going to change—that I was going to change. As a student in New York, I was awakened and excited. I felt grateful, curious, and hungry for more. But more than teaching and practicing asana , the study of Patanjali’s philosophy has brought a psychological self-awareness that has been truly transformational. On several occasions, I’d heard various teachers quote Guruji and share his description of the “kite holder and the oscillating kite”—a metaphor for the seer and the seer’s mind. When I finally experienced my own inner silence and stillness as the kite holder, in contrast to my oscillating and conflicting thoughts as the kite, it entirely changed the way I see the world and myself. My future is still unknown, but I now move in the world with a knowledge and perspective grounded by my experiences in yoga study and practice. The first group of students I taught was at a senior center, and everyone Susan Turis teaches a group of impaired adults at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Brooklyn. there needed to sit in a chair. They were not physically active, but they were there, and I was eager. and often child-like expressions of gratitude for the movement, I remember trying to fit my experience of contentment from attention, and connections that occurred during class—and of doing asana onto these willing but inflexible bodies. Confusion the light and delight that was visible in their transformation and conflict arose. What is possible, harmful, helpful? Teacher after class. That is what kept me coming back to them week training offered strict rules and guidelines to shape my after week. teaching, but I found it both demanding and challenging to stick to those guidelines in this context. Today, I draw proudly from those early experiences as one of the IYAGNY faculty who teach a group of impaired adults at the Gradually, through the guidance of Mary Dunn, I learned to Brooklyn Institute. approach teaching with compassion. Now, 16 years later, many of those students still attend class with me and have become To the Brooklyn classes, I bring an open mind and heart, and active. They have transformed their relationship to their bodies strength of nerve. At first, the classes were unpredictable as I have transformed my skills. I continue to learn from them, because any number of students could be medicated and and I am grateful to see them return weekly. sleepy, have oscillating attention spans, or be impulsive and overactive. When I start a class, I have to ask myself, each time, Later I began to work with a range of impaired adults, called “Is the temperament of the group charged, heavy, erratic, or “patients,” at a private medical day center. These folks were even? All of the above?” Now, through time and experience, I physically challenged in various ways—some experienced can create a comfortable level of predictability so the yoga can mental illness, abuse, strokes, dementia, or a low IQ. After my come more quickly. first class, what stood out was the lift of their chests and their faces after having taken so many deep breaths instead Before class begins, we set up the room for 10 students and an remaining in their more habitual sinking and slouching aide, with mats in place for each person. Everyone gets a name postures. This excited and inspired me to look forward to the tag, and I greet each student with a nod, “hello,” high-five, or a short but connected visits. I was humbled by their open spirits hug because a few people will come right into my space and Yoga Samachar Fall 2016 / Winter 2017
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