Passing the Flame

My practice isn’t just something I do, it’s part of who I am.

So when I teach, it’s not simply about showing techniques, principles, or form.

It’s like touching my candle to someone else’s and passing on the same flame that was once given to me.

That flame isn’t just knowledge or technique; it carries a piece of those who shared it with me, and a piece of who I’ve become through it.

So when I teach, I’m not just giving instruction, I’m giving a part of myself, just as others once gave a part of themselves to me.

Each time the flame is passed, it changes slightly, reflecting the person who carries it, yet the light remains the same.

And though I share it, my own flame burns no less brightly. In truth, passing it on helps keep something alive; a living tradition, a shared light that endures through all of us.

In the end, none of us own the flame.

We simply get to borrow the light for a time …to tend it, to share it, and to leave it burning a little brighter for those who come next.

• Joseph Estee