You can suck ’em, and suck ’em, and suck ’em, and they never get any smaller” ~Willie Wonka
I really love Gene Wilder and the original Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of only a handful of movies I will watch over and over again. My love for this movie is almost 100% attributable to the amazing character of Willie Wonka, played by Gene Wilder. I also love Janet Stone — someone most of you have not been fortunate enough to become familiar with. Janet is a yoga teacher extraordinaire. Her teaching seems to come to you without effort and when taking her classes you feel as if you are moving from your heart and soul without even knowing how you got there.
Just a few days before Gene Wilder’s death, I was watching a short (2 minute) video entitled “Yoga-The Everlasting Gobstopper” by Janet Stone on BigHappyDay.com. This analogy really stuck for me and when I heard of Gene Wilder’s death, I began pondering the idea and exploring what it meant to me.
Here’s what I came up with: If Yoga doesn’t fall into the wrong hands (the Slugworths are out there), it will truly never stop giving. When I first started practicing Yoga, I would step into the class with some intention – usually the need for some physical release. Most of the time, I would finish the class and feel like I got what I wanted; but, sometimes I didn’t. After a while, I would notice that while I didn’t get what I expected, I got something — usually something I didn’t even know I needed. I learned to savour the practice – to listen to my body, to tune in to the sensations and the emotions I was experiencing both on and off the mat.
Overtime, I have learned from books, teachers, practice, and especially from my students, that there is no end to what Yoga can give and no true barriers to who can receive the benefits. My Everlasting Gobstopper is Yoga and it is still going strong. After more than 25 years, I still discover a new flavor bursting forth everyday and I am grateful for being honored as a certified distributor of this ever-so-sweet indulgence. I hope you have an Everlasting Gobstopper in your life. If you don’t, it may be time to try Yoga!