So after some yoga and time to get acquainted with his new friends at Lake Pistachio, Meddy taught his first yoga class.  He decided to put them all into a relatively “simple” pose: Corpse Pose. As an alternative, he offered Constructed Rest Pose.

 

He observed his students from the back of his heart while sending waves of lovingkindness to them on each exhale, “May they be happy, healthy, and at ease.”

 

He noted quite a range amongst his students:  One of his more muscle-bound students, Montgomery, was unable to extend any portion of his legs onto the floor at all while Jefferson seemed to be willing himself to keep his knees together in Constructed Rest pose.   “Ahhh…there’s my dear Pitta Striver.”  One bear muttered, “What’s the point of this pose?” while another asked if she was doing the pose correctly and whether she should be feeling it anywhere in particular.

 

Meddy reiterated that yoga poses should be comfortable and that “in this moment, there is nothing to do… just rest.  If your mind is distracting you, bring to bear the aroma of chocolate.”

 

Meddy continued to hold the space as one by one, the striving dissipated, the questions and grumbling ceased, and a sense of stillness emerged as if everyone was floating in the same shallow pond of drinking chocolate.

 

While they were all deep in their yoga practice, Meddy reflected on the travails of his journey here and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had found his place in the world where he could do the most good.  He resolved to keep up his personal practice since he would not be teaching most of the basic poses of yoga for a very long time.  Visualization was going to be an important part of their practice as it was for him.