Today is one of those days!
I take my shower, do my meditation practise, say my prayers and get ready. I know today is going to be yet another day filled with challenge, breaking barriers, stepping outside of my comfort zone and growing into a better human being. I wait for my friend Irene to arrive. She comes dot on time and we begin our journey to this sophomore class in a High School in San Jose to empower a group of 15 young men and women in the opportunity class.
The school had bluntly told us in the very beginning that they don't have much hope for these students and most of them might not even make it to being a junior. And the teacher also shared with us that they had brought in another program before us and the students really didn't care. The Bottom line is - no one had much hopes especially from two petite looking Asian women - an Indian and a Japanese.
When we first went to the class, it was indeed a group of indifferent teenagers. They didn't care we were there. To them we might have looked like another set of teachers who have been thrust on them to improve their academic scores. But what I saw was something so different. In front of me were leaders -
smart young men and women, who were quite beaten by the system and didnt care,
entrepreuners who couldnt wait to get out of school to start something on their own,
thinkers who already had their own way of thinking and didnt care if they fit in or not,
brave young men and women who had seen enough of life already and didnt give a shit about it.
And I knew they will be my teachers and will make me grow beyond anything that I can ever imagine.
I wouldn't say it was easy! It was tough! I would call it a challenging adventure. :)
Every moment I had to go beyond my own opinion and judgements, become vulnerable, share my vulnerability and fears with the class.
In the very first week in one of our processes on Comfort Zone, we had the most amazing sharing. Two of the young men decided that they will graduate out of high school. Something which they thought impossible they included in their comfort zone. Irene & Me almost cried at the end of that class. So many things have shifted since then. Today we are into the 2nd day of the 3rd week. We have done some breathing, yoga and relaxation with them. We have seen them move from indifferent, uncaring teens to responsible individuals coming every day to class, greeting and smiling with us, participating, joking and wanting more, wanting more! We have still 2 weeks 3 days to go. Tomorrow we are going to do the crown jewel of our program - the Sudarshan Kriya breathing. This is going to uproot every particle of stress from their mind. I cant even imagine how they will become! Even now with just some breathing some of their faces shine bright and some of them cannot even open their eyes. I dont know what tomorrow will unveil.
Everyday, Every moment when I am not in school - I carry each one of them in my heart! I love them like my own.
And I know these few weeks will completely shape the course of their lives and what they will become!
This is just one class I am teaching. I am also teaching in another high school a class of 26 young men and women and gguess what!
As of right now - In school year of 2009-2010 we have 12 High Schools on board in San Francisco Bay Area and we will be teaching over 4000 young men and women. Imagine the power of change!
As of right now - We have only 6 full time YES! High School teachers to make this happen. We need more teachers. R u in?
As of right now - We are teaching these courses free in schools and have no reliable source of funding,
As of right now - Yogathon is our only means of funding!
As of right now - My individual goal is to raise 10K for Yogathon by May 30th. I am comitted to doing 108 sun salutations.
As of right now - You are my strength and I am counting on your support.
My pledge: http://yogathon.iahv.org/ member-pledge-page.aspx? memberId=813104z761sdw02991
As of right now - Every moment counts.....
As of right now - Every penny counts....
Support Yogathon.
Let us pave the way for young humanitarians to Emerge in our Community!
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