Paul & Suzee Grilley (Part 3)

Okay, I might have over-reacted a little yesterday ... The 30-Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training came to a satisfying conclusion today -- I got my certificate!! -- and I think Paul is truly a dedicated yoga practitioner/ teacher. Sure, he was critical of other schools (I didn't miss/like his sarcastic references) but, with hindsight, I don't think he was dissing them. He simply wants practising yoga teachers/students to understand that, by following blindly and rigidly "traditional rules", they may risk hurting their students/themselves. Full stop. I was particularly touched/moved by his end-of-course speech: that with the extra knowledge/info we've learnt over the past five days, we should use it wisely and kindly ... and not to use it to embarrass teachers who might not know their A-Z of Human Anatomy. After all, most yoga teachers only want the best for their students, not to hurt them, he said. Paul did admit his teaching style may not be everyone's cuppa (he can say that again) ... but his intentions are good and genuine. He also reminded us all to be true to ourselves. So I miss their teaching already!!! The couple said they'd come back to HK/Asia again but it won't be for another year or so.

Now I know my heels don't have to touch the floor when doing down dog (whatever the primary functional purpose(s) of the pose is, it ain't stretching the hamstrings!) and will be more kind to myself from now on. I am also looking forward to practising with my fav teachers again -- and to see how I can complement their style with my new found knowledge and attitude.

Paul says our body/health will continue to deteriorate with age and, well, death is inevitable. And no amount of Yoga practice will change or stop that. But if we continue to practise yoga, it will improve our mobility. The pain may still be there but at least we will not be, like, bed/wheelchair bound when we get old (for some of us, that could well mean in our 40s!). 

I honestly have learnt so much over the past five days and have met some wonderful like-minded yoga practitioners from around the region and this city -- Hi Shiang, Marcus, Mel, Kenny, Oxana, Stefane and Mel!!! -- I hope I will run into them again and practise together in the future.