No, I haven't forgotten September 11th. Heck, I really think the whole "never forget" stuff is unnecessary, for how could one possibly forget such an event and the aftermath? Things are quite different now, 11 years later...or are they?
As usual, I start thinking about a topic and all sorts of stuff pops up to get me thinking about it a little deeper. Exit 9/11 and enter...John Friend. I'd like to start off by saying that I've never practiced with John Friend personally nor have I practiced Anusara Yoga all that much (a few classes in total in the 14 years I've been practicing yoga). Yet I'm intrigued by his Phoenix-like rise from the ashes. Yes, Mr. Friend is baaaaack. And he's got a whole new practice -- and perspective -- to share. So, he's different now...or is he?
I find it interesting that often different is equated with better. Relationships, for example. You're in a relationship yet you find yourself feeling unhappy, frustrated, depressed, unsatisfied, etc. You decide that it's the other person. If that person were different, then you wouldn't be unhappy, frustrated, depressed, unsatisfied, etc. After all, if this person was your soul mate, you'd be happy, right? So you get it into your head that if you were with someone else -- someone different -- then happiness would be yours. Hearts and flowers would ensue and you'd live the fairy tale. Given the number of affairs gone wrong and second (and third and fourth) marriages ending in divorce, clearly there is something wrong with this logic.
Different isn't always better. Different is merely different. I would say that the reason the relationship example above doesn't work is because the person wanting different and better isn't changing, which means that the same things will happen in the next relationship that the person has (after all, you take yourself into every relationship. In fact, you're the constant in all of your relationships.). Sorry John Friend, but Roots ain't gonna save you -- it's who you're showing up as that's going to make a difference to your students. Different is just different.
And sometimes different is merely a new spin on the same old, same old. Back to the relationship example. The person leaves the unhappy relationship and goes with someone else, someone different. Or so it would seem. Six months down the road, the person realizes -- "Gee, this seems familiar...I had the same problems with that last person." Again, the picker is still the same so he/she picks a person similar to the last one he/she was in a relationship with. Sound familiar?
All of this "newness" has me thinking about change that counts -- on the inside. If you were moved by the events of 9/11, have you changed? Do you live differently because of what happened? Or did you give lip service to change and being different but are still living as you were before? Are you different or are you putting a spin on the same old, same old? As for John Friend...I suppose we'll figure out the answer soon enough.
Namaste!
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