|
|
Australian Dance and Yoga teacher, Eugenie Knox (68), came to teaching in an extraordinary way. When she was 12, her mother was tragically killed in a hit-and-run car accident.
Eugenie, now a mother-of-two, immediately took over the running of her mother's dance classes for school children guided by little more than intuition, grief and a basic ballet book. She says the event was an unexpected gift and feels utterly passionate about her work.
Have you always enjoyed your work?
Heavens, yes. I like to take responsibility for my life and I have my own rules. I also have a lot of faith and feel like I'm guided and protected. With that, I feel fearless, like I can do anything and be saved from dreadful mistakes.
But many people don't enjoy their work.
Both of my parents were impassioned with their work. I was inspired by their example. They left the legacy that you can do what you want to do, you're free to be yourself and don't let anything stop you.
Neither of them left me money, but they left spirit – the spirit of beauty, love, connectedness, consciousness – and that's the one thing you can't destroy.
What is the greatest lesson you've learnt?
Have faith in yourself and be responsible for everything. Don't blame anybody else for anything. All of our actions are due to our own decisions and choice, and whatever happens to us outside of that is obviously karmic.
If you can be like a duck with water on its back that can just roll off, I call that good karma. Take my mother's death. You would think that would've been enough to make me have a chip on my shoulder. In actual fact, it was one of the greatest turning points in my entire life. I see it as a foundation stone that established the rest of my life. I just say, 'thank god it happened'.
I think a lot of people are way too comfortable. They own far too many things. They don't live simply enough and they've gotten removed from themselves. I think suffering is really good, because it brings you to your knees and when you're on your knees, that's the time you start to see the earth. You realise that you're humble and that you've got a lot to learn.
What advice do you have for people who feel differently?
There are so many people who grow up in a home where they are not allowed to be creative in their lives as little kids. Kids should be allowed to make a mess, they should be allowed to play – play is vital.
Kids go to school and they're channelled into something that might not mean anything to them. They're one of 50 other kids in a class and they're not given any understanding, then they grow up and become teenagers. And what are they going to do with the rest of their lives? They don't know what direction they want to take. I was just lucky, very lucky. To begin with, I had parents who had passions. It was a dramatic childhood in many ways, but I was given freedom, inspiration and was allowed to follow my own thing.
But if people don't get these opportunities, have they got a chance?
Oh yes. Background is hugely important as is education, but not necessarily school. School doesn't suit everybody. It didn't suit me. I found it intrusive. I found it got in the way and I didn't learn anything apart from reading and writing, and fortunately I'm good at both those things. I believe you just have to use your antenna, because we've all got antennas. You need to trust your intuition to follow the guidance that you feel coming through.
|
|
|
|
|