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“Use your breath to make the sound of the ocean,” was the instruction I most vividly remember from my first yoga class in fifth grade. My PE teacher, boldly teaching yoga at a Catholic school in the eighties, was none other than Suzie Hurley. Like a harbormaster guides the safe passage of ships to sea and back, so has Suzie gently guided my discovery of yoga, my deeper exploration of its mysteries, and my return to harbor where I am privileged to share what I have learned with my community.
Yet, long before I met Suzie, my course was charted by the appointment of my Tío Pablo Jaramillo to be my Godfather. A pioneering Yogi of his time, he helped bring Kriya Yoga and Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings to Cuenca, a small city in Ecuador where my Ecuadorian family comes from. A man of integrity, his legacy continued to influence the strong growth of Cuenca’s yoga community, long after his untimely death in a plane crash in 1976. I believe, as my mother has assured me all my life—he continues to look after and guide me to participate in this system that has so completely enriched my life.
Intellectually, I have found liberation in the Tantric teachings that affirm we are completely enlightened, perfect beings just as we are. Yet, there is always opportunity to enhance the experience of our existence. The trick is to find which side of the spectrum needs more emphasis. For example, many situations can be resolved either by applying more effort, less effort, or by applying both. This concept has pervaded nearly every aspect of my life—relationships, asana, even the papers I submitted in fulfillment of my Masters. Choosing how I participate with this Spanda (pulsation-- one, the other, or both) has brought me power, fulfillment and ease. When I practice this in life, it helps my practice on the mat. When I apply these principles on the mat, they help me in life. I love how the philosophical system on which Anusara Yoga is based is so completely pragmatic, and FUN.
Physically, after four and a half years of studying yoga, I have become stronger, more flexible, and steady. Yet, I am also completely humbled by the process. Some poses (Urdhva Dhanurasana) have taken me that long just to begin to find steadiness and ease, but have been well worth it. No matter how vigorously I sail toward the horizon, it is ever expanding. I can move no faster than the currents take me.
For their willingness to share what they have learned from their own explorations, my heart holds an ocean of gratitude for my teachers. In addition to Suzie and Tio Pablo, I wish to acknowledge Kate Miller for inspiring me with her passion and commitment. Thanks to Douglas Brooks, my philosophical cartographer, I have a map of the universe so full of possibilities that every moment scintillates with joy. Sianna Sherman has revealed a world to me so pregnant with Shri, every breath is an act of devotion to the Divine Mother. Ultimate thanks goes to our Captain, John Friend for giving us a system that allows us to be conscious of our play in this Ocean of Grace.
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