Giving til it Hurts

Giving til it hurts, I use to hear that phrase in church many years ago. Back then, my understanding of it was that even if you couldn't pay your bills, you gave to the church/God.

I was always puzzled by that, why would God want you to give to the church if you didn't have money for food or shelter?

Today, giving til it hurts has new meaning for me. As I go through my work day, teaching yoga at a drug/alcohol rehab center, I sometimes teach as many as 5 or 6 classes per day. I never feel an ache or a pain until I make it home. Within minutes of arriving home the stiffness sets in, the aches start, and by the time I go to bed at night, every joint in my body hurts. At first I thought it was just me, that I was old, was a wimp, couldn't take it. But as the years went by, I met more and more yoga teachers, personal trainers, PT's , and the like. When I tell them how many classes I teach per week, they are appalled! ( hey I have cut back the past couple of years) So why do I give until it hurts? because yoga works. I have seen spirits lifted, peacefulness and joy in faces, and pain subside. I teach at a community center on Monday nights, students from age 17 to 80 come to that class and the same thing happens there. People rest and relax, they let go of stress, they are amazed at what their bodies can do, and for an hour, their troubles are left at the door. I took my first yoga class many many years ago, and I knew even then, that it was more than stretches, and balance and flexibility, that there was something powerful in learning to breathe, and experience stillness. So I will continue to give until it hurts, my pain is a small price to pay for someone else's relief.