I noticed at a very young age that my mother isn't like any other. She has always been extremely active and enthusiastic about everything. Though sometimes her logic is hard to understand, it never fails to make you happy in the end. Having traveled to America from Malaysia, her views of suburbia, American culture, and the occasional unsolicited boy advice, have always been unique to her and her mix of culture.
One of the most important things in her life is her job. Well, it is barely a job to her. Being a yoga teacher has allowed her to immerse herself in what she loves without a worry in the world. When I was younger I would roll my eyes when people thought my mother was some kind of guru. To me, being a yoga teacher entailed drinking a gallon of green tea a day and saying Namaste to everyone (including the drive-through worker at Wendy's). I would be embarrassed when she would criticize the cultural appropriation in modern yoga classes or when she tried to tell an angry gym patron to "take a yoga breath". I did not understand why she had to include "zen" and "peacefulness" in every single aspect of her life. It wasn't until recently that I started to think that her quirkiness, whether fueled by yoga ideals or not, is something to be appreciated.
A few weeks ago, I swung open my mom's apartment door to see a pair of feet sticking up from behind the kitchen island. Believe it or not, it wasn't an unfamiliar sight. It seems as though she is always finding new ways to balance upside down. But on this particular day I had a realization. When I am in my fifties, I want to be able to do a headstand on my kitchen floor while I wait for my tea to boil too. I didn't want to fight her meditation encouragements or her love for houseplants (or "yogi plants" as she would call them) anymore. I wanted to be just like her; a fun-loving, resilient mother that values simplicity. I might even try to attend a yoga class or two.
Since inviting this ideology into my life I have learned a lot. Yoga, much like religious services or community organizations, is a way to bring people together. It is so much more than stretching every day. It embraces a culture that values balance and wholesomeness. My experience in her practice has lead me to believe that yoga is all about the self-awareness of the mind. As a result, I have found that my mother's yoga class is a safe place to really take a step back from your life and have a personal conversation with yourself. As a severely thoughtful person, being able to remove the constant voice in my head through meditation was extremely beneficial. I learned that there is more to life than the fast-paced jumble of "to-dos" that normally occupy my mind. My mother had finally shown me why yoga is so important to her.
And have I mentioned the health benefits? I mean all the proof I need is my mother's ability to balance on one limb in over a thousand different ways.
Though it has been quite an adventure, my mother's values and beliefs have had a great impact on my life. She taught me about the importance of being alone and communicating with yourself, she showed me how worry and anxiety are sometimes only a mindset, and she stressed the importance of following what makes you happy in life. My mother has always been able to see things clearly, without the cloud of doubt that I often have in my vision. Her training in yoga has allowed her to embrace her own positive characteristics and live a happier life. If I can be as happy as she is one day, I would feel as if all my goals have been reached.
