One of the things that has been on my mind an awful lot lately is what I want to be when I grow up and how I can be of service to the world. How can I, as one tiny part of the massive population on earth, make a difference to my community and the world at large? What skills do I have to offer and what do I like to do? And how do I figure that out?

Since mid-January, I have been fortunate enough to be part of a Wellington pilot programme of the worldwide Off the Mat (OTM) initiative. This programme is meant to help yogis to figure out how to be of service to the world using the innate talents and gifts that have been uncovered or accentuated by their yoga practice.

The process has been an interesting one for me. In the capable hands of our amazing facilitator, Marianne Elliott, we have been exploring that which is meaningful to us, things that help us stay centered, our talents and abilities and our vision for our lives. There are still a couple of weeks to go and I’m keen to see how we tie all of that together for the group project we will do.

One part of the process so far that was particularly confronting for me was the assignment to watch “The Story of Stuff”.  This wee film explores how our “stuff” is manufactured, distributed and eventually, disposed of. It’s quite jaw-dropping to realise just how rampant consumerism is and what a massive toll it takes on the planet and the people of the planet.

After watching it, I felt really discouraged and overwhelmed. I wondered how I could make any appreciable difference given the pervasive nature of the disconnection from Source, from Self, from nature and the level of oraganised corruption that exists.

Then I remembered that it was not so long ago that I was every bit as disconnected as the people who continue to contribute to the “problems”. I thought nature was best viewed on TV and had no concept of the how precious our natural resources really are. The thing that made me wake up, to remember myself and to appreciate the planet was the practice of yoga (and eventually meditation).

So I’ve decided that my activism, the way that I know that I can change the world is to teach yoga. If even a handful of my students remember themselves the way that I did, they too will be moved to contribute positively to the world. And so on.

Every class I offer is intended to help the beautiful people who choose to spend that time with me to connect with themselves in such a way that they remember their innate goodness. When we as humans remember our light, we can celebrate together, enjoying our lives and enriching the lives of the people around us. We all become activists in an authentic way as we express our talents and our gifts confidently.

Yes, I know it seems that I had already figured that out given my current job and the fact that I had started a yoga studio. But it’s been quite powerful for me to shift my view ever so slightly to realise that concious activism doesn’t have to be hard. If you align with your true nature and your skill set, service can be easy and enjoyable.

If you’re keen to figure out how you can take your yogic values “off the mat, into the world”, stay tuned. The pilot programme of OTM is almost finished and there is a very good chance that the first public offering of this amazing course will happen as early as late March!

~Kelly Fisher

As someone who has managed to turn her passion into her day job, I consider myself to be a very lucky girl indeed. There is no greater joy for me than to be able to share yoga with the amazing beings that cross my path on a daily basis. I learn from every student who honours me with his or her presence in the yoga room. As an offering back to those people (you guys!!), I feel it’s important to keep my knowledge growing and evolving. I’ve studied a variety of yoga styles and theories. I’ve found that every school of thought imparts something valuable that I can integrate into my toolkit. In this way, I am better able to serve the students that I meet.

One style in particular though, repeatedly offers me an unsurpassed wealth of fascinating insights, deeply encouraging teachings and opens all sorts of new doors to possibility as a teacher, a student and a human being.Over the past three years, teachers from the Anusara style of yoga have been making their way to NZ to offer workshops and immersions. I have been fortunate enough to have attended at least one of these workshops per year and have even travelled to LA to study more Anusara yoga.

In an overall tradition that goes back thousands of years, Anusara Yoga is a relatively new kid on the block. It combines many threads of ancient wisdom in a very modern way into a school of thought that I find incredibly intelligent yet also deeply nurturing. Each Anusara workshop has offered me new perspectives on fundamental alignment principles and given me a better appreciation of the founding yogic philosophies. They have also made me feel alive, encouraged and amazingly vibrant.

A couple of weeks back, I went to Christchurch to study with a teacher from Arizona called BJ Galvan. BJ embodies the life-affirming viewpoint encouraged in the Anusara lineage. The five days I spent learning from her and the 19 other beautiful people who came along to the immersion were nourishing and exciting. A perfect start to 2010! Many thanks to the wonderful Katie Lane of Christchurch for her flawless organisation of this event.

In the coming months, Lynda and I will be investigating the possibility of bringing an Anusara teacher to Wellington so that you guys can share the fun. In the meantime, I have brought back all kinds of little tidbits for those in the Yoga Unlimited community to play with!

~Kelly Fisher