"It Takes Two, Baby..." by Tam Terry

     It was a Thursday morning in April, 2001.  I was at the YMCA looking for 
a way to round out my training program for a hike we were planning to 
Kilimanjaro.  There it was again-that word YOGA on the schedule.  Ok, I 
thought -I’ll check it out even though I really didn’t care for it when 
tried years earlier (granted, après ski Yoga at Snowbird probably wasn’t 
the best choice for my legs that day).  Willing to give it another go, I 
had no idea I was about to meet a teacher that has changed my life.

     Having long been defined by a demanding and rewarding (did I say 
demanding?) career as a corporate executive, there was little room to 
explore personal growth through the progressive benefits of yoga. 
Finally, I had a chance to see what all the fuss was about and with each 
passing class all I knew was- I just felt great afterward.  With the 
support of my teacher, I let myself explore poses more deeply no matter 
how peculiar some of her requests seemed at the time (lions 
breath-really?).  The more I came to the mat, the more I began to notice 
how I had expertly dismissed first signs of stress for years; agitation, 
discomfort, stiff neck or tension headaches.   The more I did yoga; it 
became the thing I wanted to do most.

     Eventually, I enrolled in the year long Bright Spirit Teacher Training 
program as a way to deepen my practice.  I really never intended to 
teach (which by now you know didn’t last!)  In time, the cumulative 
effects of the practice were undeniable-the body wisdom, my overall 
well-being, the ability to choose more thoughtfully for myself and 
others and access to a dynamic, kind community of like-minded people. 
After receiving my certification I eventually found my voice and remain 
grateful for the opportunity to share what I love most about the 
practice.

     The fact that I have an ongoing 12 year journey on the mat is a direct 
result of the experience my teacher created that first day.  She set the 
table, I stayed for dessert.  Even now, time spent with her reinforces 
the idea of learning as a dialogue between teacher and student.   I 
believe that we must both “show up” authentically to create an 
environment for sharing and exploring.  If we permit ourselves to settle 
down and remove layers of expectation, we actually get to practice being 
with levels of challenge, without judgment.   The more we practice being 
with challenges, the better we become at making choices concerning them! 
We try, we fall, we get up and a bit wiser, we try again.  Whether 
working on a breathing technique or a difficult balancing pose, we’re 
never done.  Like life, the practice is always oscillating no matter how 
strong our conviction to control it.  We can count on change. 
Consistently.   “Showing up” authentically takes true courage and it is 
then that I am whole heartedly reminded that it is in fact our students 
who remain our greatest teachers.

Tam Terry teaches "Sunday Sanctuary" on Sundays 12:15pm - 1:30pm.  Tam will also be teaching a Beginner Series that starts on March 6th at the new Urban Sanctuary.