Re-Introduction

When first meeting someone, how do you introduce yourself?

You probably give your name, maybe followed by the relationship to someone you know in common, maybe you state your profession, that seemingly- singular defining piece of "who we are" and "what we do." My introduction usually goes something like this, "Hi, I'm Allison. I'm a registered dietitian nutritionist and yoga teacher. And, yes, Griffen's girlfriend." Let's be honest, he's the more openly social of the two of us and, living in the town where he grew up, that's typically how I came to be defined before growing my own community of friends and colleagues here.

Why Does it Matter?

If we consider this question from a yogic perspective, "who am I?" or "who are you?" carries a heavier and more probing purpose. The question shifts as we begin to peel the layers of self-identity away, and come closer to understanding who we really are; the true Self or "soul" depending what you believe in. The trouble is, this is an uncomfortable process. The unsheathing of the Self means we allow ourselves to be truly seen. And being truly seen may feel vulnerable and scary even if it is only us seeing ourselves for the first time; even if it is only me, seeing myself. Many of us feel uncomfortable being alone too long in a room with nothing but our own thoughts. Often this is because we haven't taken the time to understand the Self. And so we look for constant outside stimuli to avoid facing ourselves and to avoid the work of facing long-repressed emotion that must be brought to the surface and released before we can truly see ourselves. And so we wonder, "who am I, truly"? And do I want to be left alone with her?

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