language learning Archives | Essential You Yoga

Movement as Memory

Snapshot

She walks here barefoot every day, sometimes wearing a little shift of a dress, and sometimes, inexplicably, wearing a knit sweater over it. Her name is Rama and she just watches. When I make eye contact, she’ll raise her eyebrows and give me a small smile. Her name reminds me of one of my favorite yoga mantras, so I’ll chant to her sometimes, “Sitta Ram, Sitta Ram, Sitta Ram Ram Ram.” She sings back, “Sitta Libby, Sitta Libby, Sitta Libby Libby Libby.”

School time

The children here respond wonderfully to the language and movement classes I’ve begun. Continue reading “Movement as Memory”

Once Upon a Time in Guinea

Travel

The snow began to fall the day of our departure. When I checked JFK’s website for flight info, I saw that almost all the flights leaving between the one-hour time frame as mine were canceled….except my flight! With fingers crossed and a cell-phone text alert engaged, we piled into my aunt and uncle’s SUV with our small city of luggage. Only 2 suitcases held personal belongings. The rest were packed full of the donation of soccer uniforms, deflated soccer balls, as well as an accumulation of shoes, clothes, and school supplies that we’d been buying the previous months. Continue reading “Once Upon a Time in Guinea”

Spanish as a Path to Svadhyaya

I had a moment of triumph this morning when I finally remembered the word for stapler — ingrapadora. This after almost a month of asking for the…what do you call it again? Squeezing motions with my hands while I hold up the pile of papers, corners dangling, wishing to be connected by a small metal staple.

Another moment of triumph last night as I spoke with a tour guide from Esteli who was in town touring the yoga studio with one of his clients. Even though he spoke rapidly, I was able to keep up without asking to ask him to slow down. (One of the first phrases I learned…”mas despacio, por favor!”)

I find myself slipping into English less often. Continue reading “Spanish as a Path to Svadhyaya”