Generosity

What a great title. For one thing, it's five syllables--though the readability test Lauren provided only counts two-, three- and four-syllable words. I wonder if that engine breaks down the Sanskrit words we all use in our posts, or if it throws them away. I suspect the latter. Or it breaks them down using the rules of the English language--

Generosity is also the current life situation. This morning I practiced with Sanskrit Scholar at her work's health center. Volleyball Guy is moving Mysore practice to the Starbuck's of Yoga Studio here in Scottsdale, starting Monday. No practice this morning at his current place, so Sanskrit Scholar and I met up at her place.

Let me say this about Sanskrit Scholar: she is very generous. We waited a bit in the parking lot for The British Director (who did not show), and Sanskrit Scholar taught me the correct pronunciation of the next to last line, the penultimate line (look, four syllables!) of vande gurunam: sahasra sirasam svetam. And she was generous about allowing me my rather shocking inability to accurately (or aesthetically) repeat words in other languages. So I butchered that for a while and then we went in to practice.

During practice, she helped me out with an adjustment in down dog during the suryas, chatted with me about handstands and bandhas, and adjusted me in upavishta konasana and supta kurmasana. In theory, she was doing her own practice, but she was generous enough to keep mine in mind as well. Sign of a true teacher. Thank you, Sanskrit Scholar!

Generosity was also the name of the game last night and early this morning. My Gift has a cold, with a nasty cough that wakes her up at night. I got up a couple of times to bring her kleenex and water and cough medicine, and then I checked her temperature this morning as I was getting ready to go over to Sanskrit Scholar's. I told her to make sure she always helps people who are sick, always offers them something, because I hope those around her (I was thinking specifically of her going off to live in a dorm next summer) will also be generous when she needs it.

There's a commercial I saw on TV that is of people going about their daily business, but stopping to help out the people around them (opening a door, picking up something someone's dropped, etc.) and I keep thinking, "The world could be like that!" Of course, it's not, for the most part--but I want My Gift to give it a go, as I do. We can behave as if everyone is generous, and maybe it'll catch on. Nothing better to do in this lifetime, I figure.