My First Yoga Teacher

My first yoga teacher
Beat me
Abused me
And did his asanas every morning
With discipline and joy.
Guru does not preach the benefits of exercise
He enacts them
And lets the results of stretching
And tennis
And healthful eating
Speak as his manifestation
Of what reaching for a higher self means.
His limitations are profound
His teachers few
He reads books written by swamis
And people who believe in faith, love, and seaweed
(although only impressed with the seaweed)
A man who thinks the body is the temple of the soul
That white sugar and white flour steal more nutrients
Than they provide
And that it is healthier to eat the cardboard box.
This is what he gave me
How it felt and hurt
And although naught still lives in his temple
We practice yoga daily
And I offer him my deepest thanks.