Yoga is Gangsta

"Do you give private yoga lessons where you put your leg behind your head?" A question I get on a weekly basis at the facility. To all of which I reply...no. No private yoga, no leg behind the head for you...but not this kiddo, this kiddo was different. He was quiet, and had a calming presence and his first question to me was..."What does yoga mean?" I smiled at him and said "Union with God." His eyes widened with delight and a gleeful smile danced across his face and he said...."That's...gangsta..." From then on he was my yoga baby. He called me "Little Homie" which was comical because he was one of the few kids on facility smaller than I. Sometimes I would get the occasional "What up Loke?" which was the ultimate compliment and I beamed at the reference. He had become one the the more dedicated yoga and meditation practitioners I'd seen. He asked all sorts of questions, diligently showed up to class...I said he was my protege, and he glowed with pride at every mention of his work.

They were calling me on the walkie talkie, but I didn't have one on on me, so I couldn't respond. I walked up and asked one of the staff what was going on...they said it's your boy, your yoga boy. Something went down and I thought you could help. My heart lerched...and grabbed the walkie. "This is Simone, is he still here, is he on site?" "10:4". Ten four...he's here, but leave it alone. I whirled around and started to run. I didn't have to go far, and I came upon a group of people, police, probation officers, administration, therapists, and clients. It was a mess, and then I saw him somewhere in the deep sea of chasos. They had him in the middle of this group, outside on the cement tied to a folding chair, hands cuffed behind his back, his head sunk down. His entire face was swollen and red, his eyes bloodshot, his chest pounding....I walked up to a therapist and asked "Can I talk to him?". "No, let the staff deal with it." It was firm gesture that said get your inexperienced ass outta here. I started to walk away and then he looked up, saw me, and froze. One of the head administration walked up to me and said "Can I help you Simone?" "I heard they were trying to walkie me, but I didn't have a walkie on me...can I talk to him?" "We have it covered" was the response. It was firm, brisk, almost rude...a don't over step your bounds on this one little miss. Well obviously they had it covered, but did they have him taken care of? I started to walk away but noticed the kid didn't take his eyes off me, so I didn't put my back to him. I calmly, and slowly backed away, and allowed his gaze to lock with mine. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever...and then a nod "What up little homie?" he mouth whispered. "How are you my boy?" i responded... "Chillin..." he smiled. "Chilling"....chilling with your hands in hand cuffs, your feet tucked in a folding chair, fifty probation kids watching you, police surrounding you, your probation officer breathing down your neck, and an entire team of staff blocking anyone from coming into a fifty foot radius of you. "I got you" I said in my head..."I got you yoga baby"...I gently put my hand to my heart. He nodded and smiled. I knew his soul he had heard what I had said, the message was there.

Several days before this incident we had a break through in meditation together. He asked his internal guide if there was a way that he could be happier, was it more money, a job, girls...and his internal guide told him that all those things were temporary, didn't last, and that he was looking for something deeper. Something more he told me. A kid locked up on the verge of enlightenment...something more I have no doubt he will find, because yoga is gangsta, and he is the ultimate seeker. I was reminded in this instance that real connections need no words. A knowing glance across a crowed room in a storm full of insanity, says more then anything. It marks the true test of understanding...the I got your back, love you, and you are not alone that surpasses all circumstances. That's it, bar none. That was the last moment I saw him, and will probably ever see him again. But, it's ok because we had it. What most people yearn for in their entire life time, a truth, an understanding of something deeper and someone that gets that depth in you...and no one, nothing, i mean nothing can ever take that away....