Hallandale Beach, FL Since 2002, Founder and Director of Yogarosa, Inc, Rosa Santana has been planting the seeds of Iyengar Yoga. It has grown into an amazing community of yogis and yoginis. After so many years of dedicating herself into this endeavor, Rosa has decided to relocate and spend some time writing, reflecting, practicing, studying, and pursuing other complementary modalities.
This is a person who has really understood the essence of non attachment. There was no judgement, no pain, only joy. Whichever the answer, it made no difference. It did not change this person's state of mind, and did not create any suffering.
The 2 thirds who thought it was real were divided. Half of these students were congratulatory, and wished me blessings and luck on my new adventure. Many reminded me of my own teachings, about being open and flowing with change.
" What a surprise! Congratulations, because one has to have the strength to make a change. Thank you for being an example to me of being fearless and to feel the need to fly higher or in a different direction. You continue to inspire me to challenge myself."
In this group, some emails had a feeling of remorse, such as, "I wish I had taken more classes with you, and now I will not be able to, but I am so proud and happy for you ."
"I haven't been to the studio in two years, and this whole time I could have been studying with you!!"
There were those who were so sad, that they cried, as their families tried to comfort them. They felt abandoned. Some felt betrayed. Some were in shock, and didn't really know what they were feeling. Many asked if there would be classes that week, and the tone was one of the end of Yogarosa. The snowbirds wanted to know where they would go for classes. A few asked if the teachers would take over the school. One teacher was upset to hear that she was being sold. With what right? And why wasn't she consulted? Another said I wasn't practicing ahimsa (Non violence.)
But everyone had something in common. They all wanted to know. Why? What's going on? and why didn't I know about this?
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Sage Patanjali defines yoga as " Yogah Citta Vritti Nirodah" which translates to Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the consciousness. At Yogarosa we teach yoga. Through the use of the body, we are training the mind to be in a state of yoga, or a silencing of the mind stuff. Patanjali tells us that when we are in a state of yoga, or our mind stuff is quiet, we can then be in touch with our own Self. Otherwise, the mind chatter disturbs us and can create pain. He even describes the different kinds of mind stuff. They are correct knowledge, incorrect knowledge, delusion, memory, and sleep. Patanjali speaks of consciousness, which he also defines as having three parts. Mind, Intellect, and Ego.
So someone read the April Fool's Email, and something like this may have taken place within seconds in their consciousness...
- The mind read the email (correct knowledge at the time)
- The intellect processed the information either as real or not real, and created a story around it, usually based upon past experience.
- The ego reacted with a flood of emotions and felt emotions such as abandonment, fear, attachment, happiness, sadness, betrayal, anger, etc....
All of these emotions that ensued after the email were then settled the next day upon receiving another email stating that the whole story was fictitious. And this is the story of our lives. We see something, or experience something, and we create soap operas in our own mind. Nothing is really real. We all register what we see according to our own state of mind.
When we can truly be in a state of freedom, or kaivalya, is when the experiences and world around us don't affect us anymore. The email was an illusion, and after one day of pain, the next day there was relief again. Relief that the email was not true. Relief that Yogarosa, many people's second home was not going anywhere. That Rosa was not leaving.
Many didn't consider the fact that selling a business takes time. That Yogarosa is a community, and not just one person. Yogarosa would not exist if it were not for its wonderful team of teachers and staff. It would be non existent if it were not for the students.
The biggest lesson was the one I learned. That lesson was that some of us are still learning. That no matter how much we study yoga, and we think we get it, we realize we don't. We are all here as a community called Yogarosa to learn from each other. I realized how much this sacred space means to so many. I also realized that it isn't fair to joke about that. I learned that not everyone has my sense of humor. Some read the email and were crushed. It was never my intention to hurt them. I also realized how much people love to talk. Only 13 people contacted me directly to find out details about the sale. There were many more calling my teachers, the students, to find out details. Details that were all an illusion. Details that people made up in their heads. Details that grew more complicated as they were created by minds full of imagination. The seekers of the truth went to the source. The seekers of gossip went elsewhere. In the end, the joke was not a joke, but a lesson to us all. A lesson in respect for each others minds, as we all have different ones, full of different things. A lesson about the tricks our own minds play on us about being attached. Even if I sold the studio, the yoga would not go away. The teachers would continue to teach. The community would continue to evolve.
When my teacher, Mary Dunn passed away, I did not stop practicing yoga. On the contrary, I continue to harvest the seeds that she implanted in me. I practice with her voice guiding me. I am starting to see the buds starting to blossom that she left at Yogarosa, as I mentor new teachers and pass along the gifts she gave me. I hope to follow her ability to spread the teachings of Iyengar Yoga as she did.
The best suggestion I received from one of my students was "Contact all those potential buyers, and open more locations." We"ll see....
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