We Make the Road by Waking
Week 16 Chapter 35
The Practice of…Teacher
The Scripture…”He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.” Psalm 25: 9-10
The Devotion….As students of life, reflect for a moment on the teachers who have taught you the most about what it means to be….human [pause]. Teacher/student relationships can be one of the most valuable experiences we have. Exceptional teachers understand the mutuality of the relationship with their students…. i.e. the student learns from the teacher and the teacher learns from the student.
Yoga understands this mutual experience. Namaste is a Sanskrit term that has had many translations but one that resonates is, ” the teacher in me honors the teacher in you…..”. Yoga teachers often invite students to listen to the internal teacher’s voice over and against their own, because that is the ‘teacher’ that knows best what our body, mind and spirit are experiencing. Only then are teacher and student engaged mutually in the experience of learning.
Our scripture from the Psalms today is paired with the story from John 21 where the disciples are returning to the their everyday lives after Jesus resurrection. They have walked the path of students to Jesus teachings, learning what is right and humble….but after the resurrection they are at a loss….so they return to their lives as fisherman…Jesus appears, breaks bread with them and they slowly recognize him, there is a synergy….teacher/student……Jesus reminds them that they are now the teachers….and must continue the mission to share God’s love. Their lives are forever changed by his teachings and now they are to be change agents for the sake of the world God loves and Jesus died for.
What we experience on our mat is a learning exchange. What we learn on our mats, from our teacher or our internal Teacher, is for the benefit of our experiences off the mat. We too are called to be change agents on the path of the Lord’s steadfast love.
Namaste
