One of my favorite parts of being a yoga teacher is having the opportunity to meet so many people, and the honor to hear their stories and unique yoga journeys.

Recently, I met a student who was new to my class but not to yoga.

He waited outside the studio to share with me that it had been a challenging class for someone his age, 72, but that he enjoyed the class and would proudly and happily be back. After a quick chat, we said our goodbyes and he walked away.

Moments later, he returned to share with me the story of his first introduction to yoga.

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Siddhartha

The gentleman shared that he had served in the Vietnam War-- I would estimate that he was in his early 20s at the time.

When he arrived to his bunk, he found that whoever had been there before him had left a book behind: Siddhartha.

Siddhartha, named after its main character, is a novel outlining a man's spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of the Buddha. It's considered one of the most influential spiritual texts, a classic in Buddhist philosophy.

So, as his predecessor had likely hoped, he read the book.

He shared with me that he remembers being introduced to yoga when he heard about it from The Beatles and, when he returned home, he gave it a try. But then, he realized it was not his first introduction to yoga; Siddhartha was.

Through learning about yoga, the eightfold path of spiritual growth and self-discovery, he remembered the book he had read in that bunk.

I had many thoughts as he shared this story with me-- gratitude for being able to hear it, the mental note to take Siddhartha off my 'To Be Read' shelf and purchase it (I did)-- but I only had one question: "Do you still have the book?"

"No. I left it behind for whoever came after me."

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What would you leave behind?

Since hearing this story, I've thought a lot about the person who first left the book behind. Would he have any idea the impact it had? I think about that copy of the book, the hands that held it and the stories behind the eyes that skimmed its pages. Where is that book today?

I think, too, about how we had already said our goodbyes in the hallway that day. He had walked away and almost left without sharing his story, a story that has now impacted me and, I hope, some of you. This is an inspiring reminder that we should all share our stories, and we should listen with gratitude when someone trusts us enough to share theirs.

I also wonder, why Siddhartha? If I were to leave a book behind, what would I choose?

What would you leave behind?