I think of you

“It is way more beneficial to practice with the body you actually have, than to try to practice with the body you wish you had.” - Anat Geiger

I didn‘t know Anat personally. I only spent time with her when I attended Paul & Suzee Grilley’s teacher trainings at the Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, Ca.

That was ten years ago and I went back almost every year through 2019. I didn’t go back to receive certificates that prove hours of study. I was there for taking a break from teaching and being in the company of my teachers. Their dedication, love, humor, and humility attracted me so much and I wasn’t surprised to see their assistants had the same vibe. Anat was one of those assistants.

She was warm and welcoming. It made someone like me who is naturally nervous around human beings feel relaxed. I felt truly happy when I saw her at the trainings.

Once the pandemic hit, I was sad those yearly reunions stopped.

A couple of months ago as I scrolled through Instagram, I saw that Paul and Suzee were going to be leading a daily mantra meditation for Anat. I learned that she had cancer and had left Amsterdam to be with her family in Brazil for her last days.

Every morning, Paul led the daily mantra meditation with over 100 people attending online. We sat, meditated and chanted while imagining Anat sitting right in front of us. The first day I was able to say hi to Anat and she waved to me through the screen with a big beautiful smile.

At the end of the daily meditation, people would express their love and appreciation for Anat before logging off and she would wave from her bed.

The daily mediation for Anat continued for sixteen days and Anat left her physical body on May 18th. She was 56 years old. We continued our meditation for three more days.

Witnessing how Anat approached her last days impacted me deeply. Many people want to keep their dying experience private. Anat decided to have the teachers she loved and respected lead her through the transition while being surrounded by her community. It seemed like such a courageous way of maintaining her Yoga practice through the very end.

I didn’t know her well but I still think about her.

Last time I attended the training in May 2019. Anat on the very left.