MY EXPERIMENT IN VERBAGE

Maybe some of you have figured this out, but bear with me -- because it causes me great excitement!

When bringing students up from uttanasana (a standing forward bend) to tadasana (standing), there has - in the past - been at least one or two who will come up with their gaze at the floor. This usually happens with newer students, used to exercise classes where the instructor asked them to roll up from a forward bend. I call it 'leaving their head behind'.

I've tried saying 'don't leave your head behind', I've explained skull loop - which takes some time out of the other students' experience, and I've reminded, reminded, reminded, ad nauseum.

So - my experiment in the last two weeks of teaching has been to guide students back to standing with the phrase: 'come to standing as you lift your heart'. It works! As I scan the room in each of the classes I've taught, nary a student has come to standing with their head dropping forward like there was something interesting on the floor to look at. Each student has come up, lifting their heart -- head up, gaze forward !!!

With their gaze forward, many will glance at me -- only to see me standing there, grinning like a proud parent (or grandparent). As time passes, and if my experiment continues to prove successful, it won't be necessary to explain the grin; it (the grin) might even disappear. But, I won't forget.

It's always the little things.

Have a GREAT day!