Low and high trusting expectations

Ashtanga is a very demanding and potentially hurting practice. We literally entrust our bodies to our teachers. So, how far should we trust them?

Perhaps a wrong question with no right answers. Think of it - do we always trust our instinct or judgment?

Let’s see, first things first: we do not trust people, we trust our opinion on them. Talking bad, we don't know shit about anyone (a semi-laundered but weaker quote of and old friend's motto: "we don't know shit about fuck"), so there should be no rationale or logical reason to trust others or not.

All this may seem overly harsh and cynical. But, in reality trust is something that springs from us, it is our projection, like a transfer process. Because, trust is basically expectations hoping to be fulfilled - nothing less, nothing more. And when expectations are not satisfied our ego aches and swears.

So, trust originally and primarily depends on our disposition more than arising from other people's facts and deeds - those can support and confirm our willingness to trust, but will come later than our opinion, as a sort of redundant and uncalled for feedback. Actually, contrary to what may be expected, facts do not easily change our minds - it seems that, once formed, perceptions are remarkably persistent. So, for a teacher building practitioners’ trust and for us building trust in his/her task might be quite a steep and winding path.

Another and utterly different thing is trusting the individual laying behind the teacher. If we do not trust him/her, our opinion is going to undermine and eventually nullify the role of the teacher within our mind. Which means that our perception will kill their role for good.

Which also means that there could not be such thing as trusting the role and distrusting the person – something possibly unfortunate and regrettable.