MY YOGA TEACHERS – SCOTT BLOSSOM

This will be the first in a series on my yoga teachers, significant masters of yoga who formed my practice and my attitudes about yoga.

My very first yoga teacher in April 1997 was Scott Blossom. At that time, Scott had only been practicing for seven years but since he was only 27 and happened to have a graceful, lithe, strong body, he was already a master. Doing party tricks, if you know what I mean.

I was 47 and had decided three years earlier, at age 44 to give up jogging—which I’d done almost daily for 20 years. Six miles a day. My knees were just about wrecked and I’d made the conscious decision to stop before things got worse, as I couldn’t bear the thought of giving up my athletic lifestyle. A drastic measure—like forsaking a sport I was passionate about—was necessary. I grappled around for three years to find something else that could take the place of running.

As it turned out yoga could not only take the place of running but ended up being my passion to the point where I regretted not finding it much earlier. Like running, yoga is slightly injurious. When the body suffers injury, endorphins are released, which accounts for the famous “runner high.” Yoga does the same thing. And you’re flying when you’re done with a practice—even if you’re a beginner.

At least I found this to be true from the very first class even though I was really inflexible and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Scott guided me through the first painful six months. My muscles, ligaments, and tendons were tight. I could barely touch my toes—actually I don’t think I could touch my toes. The idea of doing a foreword fold seemed like an impossible dream.

Scott basically started me out with Hatha Yoga, which is the basic foundation of yoga. Hatha is from Sanskrit. Ha meaning “sun” and Tha, meaning “moon.” Hatha is a yoga variation that was introduced in the 15th century in India by Yogi Swatmarama.

Yoga, a Sanskrit word from “yuj” meaning “to control,” “to yoke,” or to “unite” is a combination of physical and meditative disciplines. Those who practice yoga are called yogi’s or yogini’s (but most American women go by yogi). Yoga was introduced as a way to purify (prepare) the body for the higher state of consciousness in meditation (which is one reason I became interested in Buddhist meditation, but that is another blog).

Scott lives in Berkeley now and I live in Boston, so we don’t practice together very often. He invited me to spend a day this spring at Kripalu when he’s there teaching and it will be fantastic to practice with him. I will always consider Scott one of my teacher and feel grateful to him for guiding me through the early stages of my practice.

Om Shanti.