On Wednesday afternoon I found myself at St. Mary’s hospital in the presence of 35 GPs teaching them a class on yoga, meditation and relaxation. Having grown up in a medical family and very often in the role of ‘patient’, it was refreshing to, for once, share some of my knowledge with the physicians. I observed the group without the stethoscopes and dangling name tags; they behaved as any other social group in a position of exposinga new aspect of themselves to their peers. Not unlike a high school class, at first there was nervous laughter, joking around and ambivalence during the warm up. Eventually the whole group relaxed and embraced the movement as well as the breathing exercises, even in the middle of their busy day. The relaxation at the end crescendo’d into an orchestra of snores.
I know there are many critics of the NHS, but I was impressed at the initiative to offer alternative methods for the physicians to stay healthy in mind and body; this was one of a series of ‘lectures’ offering alternate perspectives on ‘medical’ subject matter. I can’t imagine this happening in the US at a free hospital. I would love to be told otherwise!
I so appreciated having the opportunity to take the yoga practice outside the studio and into the world. Om shanti.