The Passing of a Yogi

I just found out some sad news, the passing of one of our community's yogi teachers, Calvin Hawn
Calvin passed due to a car accident early on Tuesday morning. Sadly I found out last night and instantly felt deeply saddened to hear about the end of this man's life. I started to see Calvin around at The Lotus Centre, in 2004 and have ran into him many times over the last few years. He always had a big bright smile and was always beaming with positivity. He started a Daily Gratitude that many people in our community followed on his facebook.
I realized that I have been very fortunate since I have not been affected personally with news like this for a while now, in fact since my grandfather passed in 2002. The end of his life is really just a new beginning. This past week I have been teaching my students about Karuna, the emotion of sadness. When we go beyond our own sadness, we move toward compassion. Compassion allows us to heal and to let go. The rasa of sadness, deserves it's place in our mind-body, but I take comfort in knowing this is all part of a pulsation, that joy will replace the sadness and then the sadness will return. If we understand our human experience so full of emotions, such a wild ride sometime,then we can remember the place within us that never changes, never dies, the place of pure, auspicious light, of peace, deep in our hearts. Every time I do yoga I connect to that place inside of me and through compassion to those around me. Sending love and light to Calvin Hawn, a wonderful yogi in our community that left a trail of light behind him, in order to remind us of our own light.