Interview with Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher Robin Golt
Certified Anusara Yoga teacher Robin Golt is one of my main influences on the path of Anusara Yoga and her wisdom is a source of true inspiration to me. I recently asked her if she would agree to a short interview so that more people here on the West Coast could hear her voice. For more info on Robin see her website. And to experience her as a teacher soon check out her Tofino workshop in June.
What led you to the practices of yoga? How did your journey begin?
I was born a seeker. I remember asking the big questions really really early on in life. And wondering just what this world was all about. It seemed such a curious and strange place.
On a grade 4 school trip, I stumbled onto a group of what must have been Krishna Consciousness devotees chanting outside a museum in Ottawa. It was so compelling I sat down and joined them. I could have stayed there forever, playing tambourine. My poor teacher had other plans. She grabbed me and put me back on the bus. It was a real let down. It felt unfair.
When I was 11 I found a copy of Herman Hesse's book Siddhartha in my school library. It was a revelation to discover I wasn't the only one on the planet who was aksing strange questions about life. My reading habits changed after that, taking me into quite a different realm than most of my friends. At 14 I started meditating. It gave me a headache, and no one could tell me why, so I lost motivation.
In retrospect, it's clear to me that so many things transpired in my life to lead me to yoga. But I have to say that the most extraordinary act on the part of destiny was to conspire to lead me to a place of deep, deep unhappiness. I was in my mid-twenties. And things had happened in my life that had me completely tied up, bound in knots emotionally and otherwise.
I remember the day, June 13, 1985, the tipping point, when an inner SOS call spontaneously arose from inside of me, a cry to the universe for help. The very next day I met my spiritual teacher, heart master Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, who revolutionized my life. And it was through Gurumayi that I met both John Friend and Paul Muller-Ortega, who are my primary mentors now.
That's my story in a nutshell. Destiny is such a fascinating thing. By the way, all my teachers have stressed the importance of reflecting on our experiences.
You have been studying, and teaching yoga for many years now- what is it that most inspires you personally to continue going deeper with your studies?
The very clear understanding that no matter how "far" I've come, this is just the beginning. And I truly mean that. The path I am on doesn't have an end. It's a continual unfolding. That's just the way it is. And it's the beauty of what's already happened that inspires me to go deeper: I know there's more where all this has come from. And I want more.
If you had to go to a desert island and you could only take one asana with you which one would it be?
The Posture of Freedom. (If it doesn't exist, I'll make it up).
You have been a student of John Friend (founder of Anusara Yoga) since 1993 and so have had opportunity to observe and be an active part of the vision of Anusara Yoga since the beginning- what would you say in a nutshell (word or phrase) most captures Anusara Yoga as it is today?
The sweetness, power, brilliance and sincerely wild desire to serve and dance with the Shakti that was Anusara from day one, is still what Anusara is today. It's just so much BIGGER. There are so many more of us to play. Thank the Lord!
If there was only one practice or one teaching that you could share with a student to help expand their vision what would it be?
Swami Muktananda's teaching: Honor yourself , love yourself, meditate on your own Self, for the divine dwells in you, as you.
As a teacher of yoga teachers what do you think is the most important practice that aspiring yoga teachers should focus on
If you are an aspiring asana teacher, practice asana, of course. Develop a personal practice that you deeply love and find fascinating. And I highly recommend recommend additional practices, particularly meditation and contemplation (fearless and ongoing), to keep the wellsprings of inspiration bubbling.
What delights you most as a yoga teacher?
Having the great good fortune to share the experiences and teachings of yoga with people who are equally fired up and just want more....