Transcript
A Little Bit of Sunshine by Keith Allen Deaton The morning was absolutely beautiful. A thick snowfall began to cover the landscape. When I woke, I didn't think to look out the condensation covered window. The grayish (alpine blue) bars not being my first thought or interest in the morning. Only later after I brushed my teeth did someone exclaim "Hey, it's snowing." Today is Wednesday and it would be a good day! For the last several months, Wednesday is always a good day! Recently, the Courts granted our request under the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution to practice our theological beliefs, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, etc, with accompanying physical and psychological exercises as vehicles to realize heightened states of consciousness. In other words, to practice our Far Eastern religious beliefs and the many forms of yoga. I am a Daoist/Yoga practitioner versed in the teaching of Chuang Tzu and the Dao Yin. Our teacher/instructor/spirit guide, the lovely Tracy Davis is most professional. She is firm in her belief and her manner of instruction concentrates on the group working together within the various yoga belief systems (to include the Three Jewels of Dao; compassion, moderation and humility) as a community and with safety foremost. We now have two groups. The beginner class is in the morning and the intermediate/advanced class is in the afternoon. She schedules the ones who need additional conditioning to attend both morning and afternoon classes. This snowy day is her first day with two classes. The morning class begins with her saying "Ok class, come to the front of your mats..." Later, for the afternoon class, I ask "Can you work out with us in a full "flow" routine to show us the graceful form of the art?" Boy, did she ever! Her advanced skills gave us a complete workout. The routine took us to our limits. Then, in closing, we meditate and read from one of several texts; the Bhagavad Gita; Yoga, a Path for Healing and Recovery; or other texts. The sun shines bright every Wednesday, whether it's cloudy or not. The men in our classes advance in mental and physical discipline, our spiritual values grow. We have a moment of silence for our peers in the Florida yoga studio and their tragic loss - may we be instruments to stop the madness...
