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 much still lives in this temple

We practice yoga daily

And I offer my deepest thanks.