I am too stubborn for mantras.
Tell me to have a good and noble mind, and I'll immediately think, "Bullshit!" Say that you wish for peace and tranquility for all the world, again: "Bullshit!" End the practice with nearly anything other than, "I thank you for your time and I thank you for your practice," and I will probably be thinking, "Bullshit!" in response.
To repeat: I am too stubborn for mantras.
I've been trying to figure out what my overall ethics statement is when it comes to teaching tai chi and yoga. I already have an attitude of, "This is for everyone, and it is exactly what they need it to be." I market my tai chi class as, "Worry-Free Tai Chi". I want my classes to be as welcoming and open as possible, but I need something more. I need my own little mantra. I need my own little statement about myself and the world that can weave through how I build my classes, how I respond to current and potential students, and how I conduct myself as a teacher.
But, again, I am too stubborn for mantras.
And yesterday, it dawned on me. I was simply taking notes on the diaphragm when, out of no where, I flipped to a new page and wrote:
"May you be exactly what you need to be in this -- and for this -- world."
It just fits. It sums up my belief that everyone happens for a reason, that every little action is a necessary part of a much larger song and dance. I'm not asking you to have a good and noble mind. I'm not asking the world to suddenly become peaceful. I'm asking you to realize that you are exactly what you need to be in this insane little planet.
I love how everything is slowly coming together. Every step closer to higher-level tai chi/yoga instruction is another step away from the emotional fallout from leaving the teaching world behind.
And it's a nice little reminder: you are exactly what you need to be in this (and for this) world. Everything you've done in my life -- even the stuff that you're not proud of -- was exactly what needed to have happen.
Namaste, bitches.
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