Nothing but the Start

I’ve been thinking about humility lately.  Humbleness.  I didn’t bring my 25lb dictionary with me to Spain, so must make do with the Internet: the Oxford English dictionary (which itself made the leap into a solely virtual existence) says humility is “the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance.”  According to my hardcover – not be carried around – Spanish English dictionary from Collins, the Spanish use “humildad” and the noun is appropriately feminine.  (Read that last bit as you’d like.)

This definition does not give humility enough credit.  Perhaps a proper volume would delve into the positive aspects of having a “low view of one’s importance.”  There’s something in that which doesn’t agree with me, but let’s leave that for now, because humility is a quality many of us strive towards.  And the funny thing about humility is that you don’t learn it just once.  Its lesson comes again and again in various forms.  It sneaks up on you just when you’ve forgotten there are things you still need to learn in life.

• I’ve actively sought it in yoga. You cannot push your body more than it will allow.  You must learn to work with it – this thing so incredibly connected to emotion and soul that sometimes it seems only a manifestation – and accept it as it is.  Yesterday, for example, I could do astavakrasana.  And today, for seemingly no reason, there is not a chance.

• I’ve learned humility from relationships. When I realized that I could not control everything, it took humbleness to accept defeat and recognize that I cannot fix everything, cannot make things better, cannot help someone else on the strength of my own sheer will. I will admit to anyone that that may be the hardest lesson I have learned so far in my otherwise charmed life.  I will also admit that I have deleted two sentences from this paragraph.

• And I learned it through horseback riding. Lessons that culminated when I crashed unexpectedly into a fence.  When everyone thought I was a ringer to win (or place well), my horse did not jump the fence I had pointed him toward.  We circled and then went over and the entire round was perfect but for this one small unexpected circle. (Okay, so it wasn’t a crash.)  I had learned enough to make even a refusal look purposeful.  But I will tell you something.  My horse did not refuse.  He simply did not see the fence until the last minute.  I had not prepared him.  Interestingly, these years later, I express the opposite of humility when I think of that round.  Because I could admit that it was my fault.  This thing that happened which was such a shame to everyone.  But when I exited the ring after that round and dismounted, when my legs were shaking and I wanted to cry so badly, I looked at the trainer who had the duty of dealing with this girl who did not perform as expected, I smiled at him and said, “Well, that didn’t go as planned.”

There are things more important than even our heartbreak.

Those are three very different examples of learning to be humble.  And I think I’m a better person for them.  Of course, I still long for the distinct pleasure of being 15, 16, 17 years old, when humility was not in my vocabulary.  And perhaps, being so pleased with living abroad has returned me to that state, because without warning, humility tapped me on the shoulder and disappeared before I had time to see her.  (Although, in truth, I did have a visit before.)

Most mornings I get my coffee to go from Paloma on the way to my office.  I don’t drink coffee before leaving the apartment which is not the smartest thing because Paloma has usually been working for hours by the time I run into her and she’s ready to talk.  Half the time I just say si, si, entiendo, gracias, even when I have no idea what’s being discussed.  Even when I’ve had a cup of coffee Spanish evades me.

Well, lately, I must have been responding in a more convincing manner because now she demands responses that imply I really do know what’s going on.  NAd here is the humility lesson because Paloma does not stop talking to me in Spanish when other customers enter her store and get in line behind me.  No.  No, no no.  She carries on with her Spanish conversation/lesson the same way she will carry on with the next person in line…as if we have all the time in the world.  And have I mentioned that the Spanish are not exactly quiet talkers?  So, essentially, everyone in line behind me waiting for their turn to buy a coffee and a croissant or whatever are also actively engaged in this conversation with the American – whether they like it or not.

Have I mentioned this is all happening without my having imbibed any coffee???

My first reaction was to get the hell out of there.  Fast.  Without coffee if necessary.  And never return.

But for some reason I went back and kept going back.  The coffee isn’t even that good.  And I talk to Paloma in my ridiculous Spanish which does not have any subjunctive whatsoever.  And I do the sorry, smile, nod, shrug my shoulder thing at the people behind me because I know I sound ridiculous.

But I also know it doesn’t matter.

Yoga is a funny thing.  It actually makes people nicer.  It brings awareness to one’s self and in turn makes you more aware of and more compassionate to those around you.

Watching people place their mats down before class is always interesting.  The studio is going to get completely full so the mats will end up close to one another no matter what, and the goal is to stagger them so you can spread your arms wide without hitting thy neighbor.  But newbies don’t have the experience to know this yet – and often shy away from being too close to another person during practice.  They become territorial about their space and might pretend to be asleep or deep in a warm-up pose when someone looks to fit in next to them.  The tactic rarely works, but hey, they are new.

Yoga has a lot to do with being humble.  And the funny thing about being humble is that it comes and goes.  We are proud creatures.  And yoga is another way to practice the line between humility and confidence.  Difficult but possible.

Yesterday, I got to the studio a little bit early so I had my pick of spots to lay my mat.  I watched people file in and make room for others and I watched people guard their space.  The guy to the left of me did not stagger his mat even though he had plenty of room to do so.

While surveying the scene, I realized that there was a part of me that was in judgment.   It was a basics class and so I practice more than many of the people there.  I knew where to place my mat and knew where others should place there’s.  Of course, sometimes it’s best to just let things play out.  The newbies in the class would, over time, come to realize that they are better off with staggered mats.

Suddenly, I am cognizant that I’m up against something new.  Yoga is not about being “the best.”  And if we start striving for that label, we lose something in the effort.  Sure, it would be great to be able to do the most perfect Ardha Chandrasana, but that’s not what it’s about.  Waiting for class to start, I realized that by striving to be perfect, my humility was walking out the door.

And so, I spent yesterday’s class focused on being humble.  If I couldn’t go deep into a particular pose, that was fine.  I backed out a little bit.  I accepted that my practice is constantly evolving just like everyone else’s in the room.  That we have this in common.

This is another thing that I love about yoga.  It shows me things about myself that I can bring out of the studio and into my daily life.  It allows me to practice compassion and humility towards myself and others and helps me be mindful of both outside the studio.

And then, as a more tangible reminder to remain humble – and to ensure I was not getting too proud of my new awareness – the man in front of me came out of a back bend version of Tri Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana and nailed me with his foot right on the top of the head.  BAM.  I saw a stars.  I was seriously stunned.

Apparently, the yoga gods needed to make sure I understood the day’s lesson.

These are the words I understood in yoga class today:
• Tadasana
• Vrkasana
• Trikonasa
• Virabhadasana
• Ardha chandrasana
• Utkatasana
• Padangusthasana
• Chaturanga dandasana
• Urdhva mukha svanasana
• Adho mukha svanasana
• Savasana

What I pretended to understand:
• Pied
• Main
• Poignet
• Poitrine
• Cœur
• Tour
• Fort
• Ascenseur
• Regarder
• Épaule
• Ouvert
• Carré
• Saut
• Blessures
• Vers le haut
• Retour
• Avancer ensemble

And what I could figure out before class ended:
• Bienvenue
• Inspirez
• Expirez
• Gauche
• Droite
• Un bloc
• Bien
• Merci