Pat Hansen: my guru

Pat Hansen

I know that everyone has their mentors, gurus, guiding lights. I've had more than my share of them in my lifetime: none has had a more profound or salubrious impact on me than this remarkable woman. I had my last yoga session with Pat barely a week before she passed away almost one and a half years ago.

I was not ready for her passing (as if any of us are): she'd had a badly botched operation on a hip that had worsened over time and that, combined with too many intrusive operations took an enormous toll: doctors were ready to exact heroic measures when she decided to forego medications and passed quickly. Her close friend and fellow Yoga master, Hansa Knox was with her at the end as well as her family. Hansa provided me with these pictures of Pat.

 Despite practicing therapeutic yoga on me for well over 3 decades, I don't seem to have ever taken a photograph of Pat. I must have some in my transparency files--which should I ever have a chance to go through and find them, I shall be sure to scan them.

But these images do much to convey something of Pat's ethereal grace. She always seemed to have a smile, if not a chuckle on her lips. My volunteer of many years, Joan Schwarz, was responsible for taking me (I should say DRAGGING me) to Pat when I was in severe spasm way back in the 1990's--possibly even the 1980's: I never made note of when we started. I knew from my very first session that Pat was a remarkable practitioner. My severe lower lumbar disks--three of them were crushed--caused me excruciating, acute, perennial pain. It took almost a year of devoted practice with Pat before one day I realized the pain had gone. Forever.

I cannot imagine what my life would have been had I not found Pat: my back kept degenerating--but persistent yoga practice was such that I have had no pain whatsoever for decades. Somehow she trained my muscles to sustain the alignment of  my spine so that the disks and vertebrae no longer crushed against my spinal chord. Pretty miraculous stuff.

Obviously, Pat was a very charismatic and beautiful person--not just in her physical presence: photos can't convey the beauty of an profoundly loving and generous soul.  Our sessions weren't cake walks--she "put me through my paces" with challenging asanas that were often strenuous and verging on stressful. There was not one day in decades I did not look forward to going to her office and later her home when she semi-retired and getting that rigorous treatment. There could be a bit of small talk at the beginning or the end, but Pat was efficient: she knew me so well that as soon as I changed into my yoga clothes and got on my mat she knew just where my body was most out of whack, and would focus on having me relax and realign so that by the time I got up and left I felt rejuvenated. I mean I felt fantastic.

People tell me that "yoga isn't for me" or they don't like yoga. I am absolutely certain that therapeutic yoga, such as Pat practiced (and which Hansa practices now) would be perfect for anyone, anywhere, any time. Over the decades I met MANY of Pat's current and former students: every one seemed to feel the same way I did about her and working with her.

Something in me tells me I wouldn't be alive today if I had not had the extraordinary help of this amazing woman. 

All of our days are numbered. And most of us somehow never find the time to acknowledge the profound debt we owe this or that friend along the way. 

I have no doubt Pat knew how grateful I was for the gift of health she provided me. I also wish to thank John Bayard and Lainie Jackson: after a decade or so of solo therapy, they joined me for more years than I can reckon and we all three--gardeners with similar gardening ailments--spent a magical hour every week-- being coached and helped by Pat. These are some of the sweetest and best hours of my life. There aren't many things in my life I could say that about. Even gardening has its bad days!

Thank you, Hansa, not just for these pictures--but for being there to help continue this wonderful process!