08/18/2026
"From the Fire of Doing to the River of Being"
Cindy Jeng (08-18-2026)
I heard the tales of my students’ pain,
Their daily struggles, the physical strain.
I offered compassion, I tried to see,
But it only lived in my memory.
Then out of the blue, though I cannot say how,
The shadow of suffering found me right now.
Is it not human to fight and deny,
When the body defaults and we question why?
I was teaching the youth, doing Breath of Fire,
Full of momentum, strength, and desire.
I am a yoga therapist, a runner who hikes,
Teaching Indoor Yogic Cycling on stationary bikes.
Weaving pranayama, philosophy, and mind,
With body science carefully aligned.
Two hours later, the universe spoke—
My right lower back suddenly awoke.
A sharp invitation, a sudden demand,
A language I didn't yet quite understand.
I modified classes, I changed how I taught,
With blankets and bolsters, protection I sought.
I spoke of the Zen Turtle, slowing the pace,
Finding the medicine inside the space.
I had awakened a teacher within;
The ache in my back showed me where to begin.
It asked me to humble my pride and my mind,
To be fearless and gentle, accepting and kind.
I wondered if karma had shifted the scale,
Or if muscle strain was the whole of the tale.
But answers dissolve when you sink into Being,
And shifting your presence changes your seeing.
I now find a creative, structural Grace,
Using props and the furniture matching my pace.
Every angle and side of this physical frame,
Learning to move without lighting the flame.
Five days have passed, and I’m sitting right here,
With my good friend named Patience, keeping me near. Like a swimming instructor, she holds up my head, So I float like a turtle with the river, safely instead.
I am hanging here with Grace and PATIENCE.
