There we go.

I haven't written in a while and that's bummed me out.
I went to Canada for the film fest and am still waiting to upload my 'stretches to do while waiting in line for a movie' video. I'm thinking of renaming it, 'stretches to do while sitting on your ass for hours on end'. Whadya think? Not quite as yogi, huh?

I had a recent situation in class where I was confronted by a student over my concern for her injuries.
I'm still trying to process her communication with me, hence writing it down on the blog.

I won't go into depth but I was alarmed that she was so taken aback that a teacher would want to know if she had issues that would keep her from doing certain things.

Here's the deal, this is just my rule, but in general, if you are new to my class, I'm going to come up and introduce myself. I'm going to ask your name. 9 times out of 10, I will remember your name. Maybe not by next week, but at least during the session. I'm not going to come around and adjust you unless you are doing something that is completely unsafe. It takes me at least a class to evaluate your practice to see what you can and can't do. I'm not comparing myself to a doctor but even as a fitness trainer, there are assessments we must do on a student whether you have revealed your 'issues' or not. If you come back, to me, that means you are open to furthering your practice in my class and I will usually ask if its ok to adjust. I have worked with way to many at-risk and abused people that touch can be very healing/violating to people. It's important to me to know who I have in the class I'm teaching.

It's tough because I know that in this day, there are yoga teacher training courses popping up left and right and there are many amazing teachers in this city. However, there are also many teachers that just choreograph some moves and that's a class. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not my class.
I had no idea what teacher I would end up turning out to be. I tried on many hats as a teacher to see where I would be lead style wise.
I ended up being the kind of teacher that puts the breath first, the mind second and the body third. This means, be here, chill out and let the body follow its instincts. That also means that your pose might not be the pose the person next to you is doing. Safety is my main concern as a studio teacher because when you've got a bunch of bodies in a room, you don't want people twisting and turning themselves into an injury.

I also like to keep things light. Yoga is not running the country but it is governing yourself and it's important to approach yourself in the most gentle and kind way. Who knows, maybe that attitude will spread in how the leaders run the country. Hmmm.

I pride myself on a lot of personal attention. Maybe this is weird. Maybe this is from years of privately training individuals, couples, small groups and those with injuries. I'm not really used to teaching a bunch of folks in a room. No one is a bunch of folks in a room to me. Everyone is there to experience a new experience every time they come into the room. That time, space and unique combination of people and energies in that class will most likely never happen again. The day you are having is different from every other day and here you are, taking a yoga class, so let's evaluate all that and address this specialness accordingly.

I know when I take a yoga class, I like to be left alone. However, I always love when the teacher introduce themselves to me. It gives me a little clue as to what kind of class we're going to have that day.

I have recently been practicing at a studio near where I live. I must have taken this gals class a dozen times. She always rolls in late, doesn't say hello and just starts her class. I like her. I like the postures, I like what she talks about. I see so many people in her class that look like they are about to break, but she never goes up and adjusts them.
Really, its the students choice to jack themselves up, but I did find this interesting. I couldn't let it happen, but that's just me.
I always feel good after her class even though, when I introduced myself to her one day , she simply thanked me and walked away.
That's the kind of teacher she is. Nothing wrong with that. She created an experience for an hour and a half. That is her job. I always feel good after her class and that's enough. I'm not there to judge how she is the rest of the hours of the day and how she is with other people. I'm only there to judge myself and that's exhausting enough.
I shouldn't be looking around the room anyway!

But that's just the thing. We're not here to judge others. We're here to observe ourselves in each experience. This is what informs us of our behaviors with others, how we react in situations and how we choose to use our gifts and passions in life. It informs us on how to be better people.
It's amazing how putting your bod in a bunch of weird positions will do that, but its true.
When I come in contact with people who tell me, I can't do yoga, I'm not flexible, I'm always surprised. Yoga and the postures are not all about flexibility and for most people, if they started out as flexible, well there is not a lot of places to explore, is there? If you can touch your toes and stand on your head with ease for minutes on end, what kind of journey is that? It isn't about what you CAN do right now but what your potential is. I'm pretty sure that even the people who can stand on their hands have many other challenges, physically and emotionally in a class.
A yoga class is a place for you to test yourself, push your limits, observe your reactions to tension, stress, challenges and peace. Yes, peace. You would be surprised at how many people are actually scared of that feeling.

In general, it ain't about the poses. It's exploring the inner world.
The important thing is to make sure the environment and how you move is the safest possible in order for you to do that exploration.
If you've had a bad experience in a yoga class, it doesn't mean that yoga is 'bad'. Please try out several teachers and studios before making your judgement. I can assure you, you will find the right class for you.

Speaking from experience, I continue to try out new classes and techniques. Some good, some not good for me, but I'm open to trying.

If you don't like my class, I do apologize. I can't be another teacher. I've tried and it's not authentic.

I'm here for you because it's your time. I'm open to questions about your practice but not comparisons with other teachers, because I'm not them. I always draw my classes from the teachings of others and my studies but I can only have my life experience and education to draw from and lead you. It's not perfect, but if it was, what kind of journey would that be?

That's it for now. Be good to yourselves, drink lots of water and call your mother.