Crowded? Yoga at Durham Yoga Company: Durham, NC, June 21, 2017

One of the reasons I go to yoga classes every chance I get, whether on the road or not, is to get some quiet time away from everybody. But especially on the road.

So when the teacher this morning suggested we go around the room and introduce ourselves, a pang of anger raced through my body. So strong I noticed.

I'm here for some 'me' time.

But as we went around the room, of which there were only a dozen or so, I was truly interested in what each person had to say. I began to realize its me time all the time, and the insight is that it does matter how I am in relationship to others, all others, all the time.  As Eric Schiffman says, Love one another. Its good for others, and its good for you. The skill set of maitri or friendliness is a key suggestion of the sages for hundreds of years for a happy life.

Our teacher pointed out how easy it is to put on blinders and tune out the people and the world around us. While I've had to learn the artful skill set of preserving my prana on tour when you interact with thousands of people in the course of a week, the other side of it is to engage with them for real. Its an every show practice and I'm grateful for the chance that I've gotten to learn how to do it pretty well because it isn't show business, its authentic.

I think that's why so many people at the merch table want to share their Dave stories. And a cool thing has happened, similar to my expereince in yoga  this morning, is that I've come to really enjoy meeting so many people at the shows.

For the most part. Of course there are days when its not true, but today I enjoyed my life a lot.

Namaste