Recently a dear yogini friend asked if I wanted to take a yoga class with an out-of-town teacher named Matthew Sanford at a nearby yoga studio. I said yes. And that is when my friend mentioned that Matthew happens to be a paraplegic.
What rock have I apparently been living under that never before had I heard mention of this remarkable Yogi??
I have spent time studying Yoga Therapy and been in the presence of Patricia Walden & BKS Iyengar himself coaching heart patients, diabetics, muscular dystrophy and stroked clients through their yogic "rehab." But never have I personally studied with a teacher who could encouraged exploration of the energy body because of insights resulting from such poignant loss, and his journey to wholeness through Yoga. Meeting this remarkable being was a priveledge...a "pratyaksha moment"...provoking that in-your-face profound kind-of experience travels in India can provoke when encountering certain light-filled individuals who've endured the un-endurable.
Whether slipping from wheelchair to floor for a particular pose he wanted to share OR levitating back into his chair & doing agile loop d'loops down tiny aisles arranged between about 30 students, Matthew CONNECTED with such heart to each of us, doing hands-on adjustments and guiding us through a pose from vantage points all around the room. As I am both student & teacher of YinYoga and Angela Farmer's uniquely energetic teachings, Matthew's articulation, inspired by his personal studies with BKS Iyengar, opened a deeply interior portal, a personal transmission on the Yoga journey.
By mentioning this experience, it is my hope to further support Matthew's message of healing through yoga with teachers and students alike. I offer pranam to the incredible spirit humans who suffer great loss can invoke when they share their courage openly and vision for greater healing. To learn more about Matthew's lecture and teaching schedule visit http://matthewsanford.com
Namaste.
