From Nurtured to Nurturer

The end of one very important journey that started almost inconsequentially in September 2009 was marked last night at an emotional graduation ceremony that took place in the very studio where each and ever graduate had sweated blood and tears to complete a gruelling 200 hour training course of which I hasten to add, not a single minute will ever be regretted whatever we go on to do individually.   It has been real and we are now all tied by that experience for ever and a day.  In many ways, I feel I got very lucky with my group.  I will have trouble finding a more genuine and sincere group of people, but that is exactly what I set out to do from now on: seek or create (or boot out - cruel to be kind and all that jazz).

Meet the proud newly qualified Yogi:

If I'm looking a little haggard - training, even in Yoga can be hard.  200 hours over 4 months plus classes (3 per week was mandatory) and projects...let's say it wasn't exactly Zen but it is now and the time has come to give back.  The process starts this weekend where I am truly blessed and honoured to have been asked to assist a Yoga for Haiti class, the proceeds of which will go to Medecins sans Frontiers in Haiti.

It is tradition to give new yogis - or yogis in the making - as this is truly a life long practice and I fear I will not in one lifetime really achieve that status (but I'm going to give it my best shot), a string of Mala beads (see this link for the meaning of http://www.swamij.com/108.htm.  I'm wearing mine in the picture.  These ones are made from Sandalwood and give off a strong but sweet musky smell of a life less ordinary. 

I walked into this feeling vulnerable as a child, truly lost and needy and wondering whether this would turn out to be just another expensive hobby but I walked out last night as secure as Mother Earth.  I know what I must do.

That isn't to say that I've become superhuman or anything - I'm already fretting about getting the nipper into a new school in London; what council tax will be in a new borough and general cost of living in the UK.  And then I think, nevermind that, I don't even have toilet paper in the house at the moment or milk...we had to eat dry Mini Wheats for breakfast (bit crunchy but not bad at all).  Ahem.  So you see, there is much to repair but I have the tools.

I leave you with a couple of my moments in time with some of the Class of 2010!.  Cheerio - the supermarket beckons.