By Lisa Rocco
What does “life-changing” mean to me? Life-changing is something that brings immense transformation to one’s life impacting their path, perspective and the direction of their life’s journey. Sometimes this can come through certain circumstances, unexpected events, people we meet, or unravel itself in unexpected ways.
How do I define “teacher?” In a traditional sense of the word, it means for someone to show you how to do something and in turn you learn a skill; however, from my life experience, this definition has shifted a bit to mean someone or something that shows me more about myself. When I leverage this perspective, it allows all of my daily experiences and interactions to be an opportunity to learn more about myself and it also means everything, everyone, every experience in life are teachers.
For me, my most life-changing experiences have come from a desire for personal growth to understand my authentic self — my soul. My kundalini yoga teacher-training program was absolutely life-changing. Within this container there were some very special trainers who have been catalysts and guides along my journey to self-discovery. One in particular that stood out was SatHari Kaur.
Have you ever encountered someone where right away you know, deep inside you, you can’t hide from them? It’s on an energetic level. You can feel they are so aware of the energy that they are going to push you to your limits and call you out on your bs. This is what I experienced immediately after meeting SatHari.
It’s as if she could fully see me and it created a level of vulnerability within me that was scary. My ego immediately became involved, unsure if the yoga training was right for me. The ego likes to push people and experiences away from you out of fear of change, and in doing so it tricks you into thinking it is “keeping you safe.” Well, growth doesn’t happen in the comfortable — it happens under pressure when you get real and stop putting on masks to hide. Although my ego was fighting to keep me safe, I took a courageous step into the unknown to see what the experience and people who were a part of it had to share.
It was a seven-month journey that pushed my mind, body and spirit to my absolute limits. “Kundalini” means awareness. It’s a practice that elicits awareness of your mind, body and energy through sound (chanting/singing), breathwork and movement. It’s a tool to raise your consciousness. We can’t change anything we are unaware of.
The body is an imprint of the mind and remembers everything. The practice of yoga regulates the body’s systems and brain. This process provided me with an opportunity to get quiet enough to access and become aware of my own internal energy and begin to witness my thoughts. In addition, as my body was being pushed and I started to tone and strengthen my nervous system, stuck energy started to surface — emotions and feelings began to be processed that my body has held onto for decades. Wow, was it a ride! Learning to move with my emotions like a wave rather than against them. The level of safety and space that was created in the container by the trainers without judgment was magical.
My yoga training allowed me to learn that my emotions had space to be expressed without the need for me to judge them and that I have tools within my own self to be with all of them. As I allowed more inner space for my emotions, my body, my mind, more awareness and space in my outer world began to appear. My golf swing improved as I finally had feeling in every part of my physical body. My marriage has more love, play, joy and lightness. My masks are slowly disintegrating, and life is way less serious!
It’s been a journey of radical self-acceptance, which has allowed me to be more real with myself and others. The trainers provided an exceptional experience to hold space so that we all could come to our own learning and lessons. This is the greatest gift any teacher can give: an experience to elicit curiosity, push you to your limits graciously and offer a new perspective without judgment.
I’m forever grateful for this part of my path which has revealed more of my authentic self to me and the world around me. It’s been a powerful part of my journey back to my wholeness. May we all find our radiance!
Find an archive of the VOICES Radio Hour September episode, “Life-Changing Teachers,” at voicesrfv.org/voices-radio-hour