How Practicing the Headstand Led me to Living a Life of Self-Study (Svadyaya – the 4th Niyama) and Writing About It
My Worst Nightmare Almost Came True
Some of you know that I enjoy traveling. Some of you may say that I love traveling. But those of you, who know me well, will say that my love of traveling is an opportunity for me to explore people rather than just places. I travel to connect to the soul of another human being while observing how they live, the similarities and differences.
When I travel, I like learning the people’s story behind the buildings and structures, the vignettes underneath the aromas, the reactions to breezes against my skin, and the reasons for the simple sounds and complex music.
A select few of you, who know my soul, know that I don’t particularly like coming home with trinkets or pictures but instead with tales about a real connection, and possibly, even a friend.
Another way I travel is through the people I meet, especially those in my yoga class, where minds are curious and open and full of wonder about their inner journey as well as their outer world.
Let me tell you about a friend that I made while teaching yoga at Carnegie Mellon University. I remember when I met Rocio; she was a brilliant woman who was curious about yoga. Her playful spirit made me laugh on a regular basis. Occasionally, we would meet up at the same international dance parties where we would dance to music from all over the world, from hip hop to Turkish rock.
Rocio is from Madrid, Spain. We reconnected through social media and that is where I learned that she still listens to a low-budget audio CD I produced 23+ years ago.
“Saeeda, I continue to play your CD and do your session even 23 years after the first time we met at CMU on a beautiful fall of 1997. I can't believe that the sound of your voice still unleashes in me a feeling of relaxation and wellness that no one person has been able to generate.”
Rocio told me that she was so excited to be back in touch and wanted to order a copy of my book after reading a few excerpts featured on my website. I was humbled to know that what I had shared so many years ago stills has value.
April 2020, I carefully made priority-shipping arrangements for Rocio’s request. Three weeks later I received notification that the package made it to Spain. I was thrilled. It would soon get to my former student in Madrid. When I checked with Rocio, the package still had not arrived. She let me know that she had to go to the post office to pick up the package. When she got to the post office, they informed her that the package was being held up in customs. She went home without the book.
In late June 2020, Rocio was asked to return to the post office and fill out a significant amount of paperwork but unaware that it would take another month for them to release and deliver her package, and on top of it, they asked her to pay extra. Maybe this was all because of COVID. We still don’t now.
I could not believe that my book was held up in customs for some unknown reason until August 2020.
Now, those who may know me more intimately, may know that one of my biggest fears is being held in customs for an unknown reason. I have been flagged in life many times for having an Arabic name, followed around in stores for being a black woman, and had TSA run their fingers through my hair to make sure there wasn’t a weapon in there. So to have my book, instead of me, held in customs in Spain was actually funny. I couldn’t do anything but laugh out loud.
Four months later, it arrived. Rocio emailed me and said, “I felt [like] the happiest person on earth when I finally laid my eyes and hands on them.” Let’s hope Rocio finds the book well worth any trouble it may have caused.
And now it is my turn, Rocio has just published a book of her own, Luminosas and she is sending me a copy. Let’s see if it can get through customs.