A Guide on my Journey: Chris Rurka

{Welcome to my feature series on those who have inspired me on my journey.  If you missed the Dark Horse, be sure to take look.  Today’s post is about someone who became a guide on my journey and helped me to open my mind and embark on what I had once thought was impossible.}

As I looked at each of my palms, firmly planted into the earth, I felt elated.  My legs felt strong, my mind was clear, and my being was present and relaxed.  As I felt comfortable and at ease in an execution of full wheel pose, I felt elated.  It has been quite a journey, and it took me a long time to get here.  Yoga has become a fundamental part of my life journey.

Thanks to an amazing and inspiring guide, Chris Rurka, I have been fortunate enough to have experienced the inward journey that truly begins when you are able to be fully present and open.  For someone focused on continuously pushing forward, this was no easy feat.  It was quite some time into my yoga journey that I really started to understand why I was doing it.  As sporadic as my practice has been over the years, I have been gravitating to Chris’ class for many years.  Any time I saw his name on the schedule, I was drawn to class.

Chris is a very centered being.  As his voice begins to guide me through my practice, my being comes to a calm and focused place.  When I set an intention to focus on his words and to do everything that he says, my practice unfolds and I am able to clear my mind and become completely open.   As he guides his class through the practice, his voice reaches and inspires.  He infuses all of the souls in the class with energy.  Everyone is motivated.  His words reach inside my mind and convince me that I can.  His words and his energy make me want to try harder.  They convince me that I am capable of doing what my mind tells me I cannot.  It is what he says, how he says it, and the energy that he shares that help me evolve my practice and my journey.

When I started practicing yoga with Chris, I could not do a full wheel.  Now I do multiple wheels consecutively and feel at ease and open.  I could not even comprehend doing a hand stand, but I have now made several attempts during his class.  He is very convincing that you can do what your mind is telling you that you cannot.  If you truly listen to him, your mind will open and your body will follow.

I recall a particular occasion when I had been working a lot, and was feeling very stressed out.  I was so consumed with the current project and schedule that my mind was literally spinning.  I spontaneously found myself driving to the yoga studio, and next thing I knew I was lying on my back listening to Chris as he began guiding the practice.  By the end of the session I felt like a different person.  My mind was clear.  My being was calm.  I had reached another state completely.  Relief and happiness washed over me.

Practicing yoga has become a very important part of my journey.  It has also helped me to strengthen my mental focus.  Chris has taught me to open my mind.  He has helped me to see that I can find ease in a challenging posture rather than forcing my way through it.  He has helped me to develop a mental focus.  Chris has taught me how to open my mind and believe in myself.  Chris has taught me how to care for myself and to open my muscles and my body after challenging activities.

Chris is an energetic, motivational and inspiring guide.  He is committed to the quality of the practice, the execution of the poses and the transitions between.  He is a true guide to deeply opening the mind and the body.  He helps those that he guides to reach for the impossible.

Chris has been more than an inspiration to me.  He has been a guide on my life journey.