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Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?
~ December 16 prompt

Fact: Twitter has a funny habit of enhancing my life.

I know a lot of people say that social media is really more about isolation than bringing people together, but in my case that’s not true. For all those social media-based friends I haven’t met (yet), I’ve a growing list of people I have managed to catch up with.

Right now it’s a short list but it includes Catatonic Kid, Shiv, Nadine, Kerry, Sevapuri, and Desert Book Chick. Plus others I know more specifically from Twitter only. In the near future, I hope to also meet Beckmayyogi, Rachel (on her 2011 tour of Australia), and maybe even Linda-Sama (more about that very soon in another post!).

The honour of this post however, goes to the wonderful and generous Sevapuri. He’s a yoga teacher for Yoga in Daily Life (YIDL) in Sydney and from what I can tell, he’s leading the social media charge for YIDL in Australia!

We initially connected via Twitter after a couple of tweets about the hummus recipe I use, something I picked up at a YIDL cooking workshop a few years ago.

Sevapuri noticed my tweet, and we’ve been Twitter friends ever since. Then, he was planning a trip to Melbourne for some training and suggested we meet up. Through the cold wintery night I navigated unfamiliar trams to make it to our meeting spot, and over a very tasty Indian meal we became fast friends in real life as well! Recently, he and his lovely wife were back in town for a yoga retreat and we met up again.

The way he’s changed my life and perspective on the world this year is by suggesting me to the Melbourne YIDL school as a substitute yoga teacher. This came at a time when I was still quite doubtful about my teaching skills and experience. He said many supportive and encouraging words, and put me in touch with the yogis who run the school down here.

After a meeting with them and a couple of classes to see how they teach, I found myself being asked to teach a class there a few weeks later. It went so incredibly well, and I was elated! It was the first class I’d taught where I felt like I was coming into my own as a teacher.

Then instead of having anything to do with the madness of horse racing in early November, I went to a half-day retreat at Melbourne YIDL. A bit of yoga, meditation and a vegetarian feast! I can’t tell you how much I love the people and the vibe there – they are definitely my kind of yogis.

Shortly afterwards I received an email asking me if I’d be interested in a permanent teaching gig one night a week from February 2011. But before we settled on the details, I was asked to come in and teach another class that one of their head teachers could sit in on. Just to make sure we were all on the same page.

At the end of the class the head teacher said to the students: Svasti will be teaching a beginner yoga class here next year, and I might’ve done a little internal flip-flop of joy.

It’s hard to believe that all of this came about because I sent a tweet or two about a humms recipe, which led to an interstate yogi friendship, which landed me a regular teaching job! But even more so, it was the practical support of an experienced yoga teacher for a fledgling one that was so important to me.

Sevapuri, this one’s for you because you really did give me a hand up when I needed a shot of confidence. Many blessings to you my friend!

~Svasti xo