Teacher of the Month: Keith Partington

Take A Walk by Keith Partington A walk in nature, alone, is a great reminder of many things. There’s a lot of borrowing- to put it kindly- from others going on in the yoga teaching world. We seek inspiration these days from influencers- mostly photos of them- when a limitless supply of inspiration lies all around us, and within. Teachers inspired by a sequence too often simply copy it, when they should be asking what effect that sequence had on them and why, and letting that be the seed that inspires their next class- holding themselves to a higher standard and not taking the shortcut. Just as we used to draw from foundational, sacred texts, then moved on to new reinterpretations or substitutions more palatable to our overburdened senses, more digestible to our scattered systems, now we’ve moved away from drawing inspiration from natural elements we’re meant to be connecting to, and instead relying on and feeding into a culture that feeds comparison and doubt.  The practices of yoga should be taking us closer to Source. To connectivity to all around us- which is the same as saying to our true eternal Self. So why borrow someone else’s inspiration? It’s all around us right now, and it always was. This requires trust, but why wouldn’t you trust? It’s all there, always was, beneath layers of stuff that isn’t even real and won’t ever really matter. If your knowledge and application of yoga isn’t cutting through these layers, it’s time to look within and ask why. Let’s not forget that when we practice we’re trying to get at things that are already in us. So maybe simple is best? Sometimes solitude and the most elemental activity, like walking, are all we need. Draw your inspiration from that. How? Have faith. Faith in your practice giving you the power to operate at a higher frequency. With that, you won’t be asking yourself “what should I teach?” Recommended Practice Take a walk! Not one where you are going someplace. One where the path is ultimately a circle and takes you through and by things that are natural and eternal- yes, even in NYC! Let your footsteps draw you into a moving, interactive meditation with all around you, let that draw your awareness inward where the real wellspring lies.  Sequence of the Month  Surya Namaskar A, or better yet, “classical” Surya Namaskara. Start slow and keep going until your breath starts to set the rhythm. Let that take over so the mind is so captivated with visceral experience that the intellect goes quiet for a bit.