GIDDY TO THE POINT OF 'FLUORISHMENT'

What a nice day -- enjoyable to teach the Gentle Yoga class yesterday morning. Small group, but included was one person newer to the practice. As is my tendency, I worry I give too much information -- I want them to know all the helpful information; and, I guess, I want them to know it RIGHT NOW. So, I had to restrain myself and the information a bit and just teach.

Then a bit of grocery shopping, lunch with Howard, a bit of reading, a nap (I've heard rumor that Darren Rhoades takes a nap every afternoon; gives me license to do likewise - or at least as often as possible. No guilt allowed.), a bit of domestic paper shuffling, then back to the studio to prepare for the 5:40 pm class.

It was a smaller-than-normal number in attendance. Some I had met in previous classes, some new to me. But, all had done yoga before. My class plan changed, as I met and got re-acquainted with those in attendance.

My theme, heart quality, and alignment emphasis did not, however. Hugging in to create stability; steadfast; muscle energy.

Why "giddy to the point of fluorishment"? I found myself having so much fun, I really had to contain myself; I had to remind myself that I was there for the students, to teach and keep them safe (NOT to have TOO much fun and FORGET them). Giddiness, like that, has not happened to me before. I can be funny, I can crack jokes, but never have I felt so energized and so happy to be teaching. I'm usually pretty sedate, maybe to the point of being boring(?). I think I may have just jumped off a plateau and UP to the next level.

During the class, we moved through warm-ups, some salutations, some standing twists, then took legs wide to work on parsvakonasana (first time, elbow on knee; second time, hand to outside of front foot). The 'capper' was trichonasana / ardha chandrasana / trichonasana -- using muscle energy to support and allow the poses to open and ALSO to allow those smooth and graceful transitions between poses. We did that series twice, as well. The first time through, I encouraged use of a block; second time, their choice.

A couple sets of tight shoulders in the room, and all of these poses are challenging to tight-shouldered students as they take the arm up. What to do? I encouraged keeping the upper hand on the waist or rib cage, elbow bent, to encourage the upper shoulder blade to move on to the back. Who can concentrate on working through any of these poses when their shoulder 'screams' at them (or just becomes immobile) as they try to extend the upper arm; so, why not keep it in a place of accessibility, while we work on other aspects of the pose?

With everyone's upper hand on the waist, I encouraged them to open their heart and chest as they took their shoulder blades onto the back 'with a dramatic fluorish'. Wow! Then, take the arm up if it was available to them. So much more opening. Even some smiles from the tight-shouldered few. Our shoulders can really get in the way sometimes and inhibit our opening (body and mind).

(Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying ignore taking the arm up forever. I'm saying get the foundation of the pose established in their minds, allow them to feel the opening of their heart, THEN work on the arm. Even in my limited time as a teacher - 5 yrs - I've seen people scrunched over in all of these poses, because their shoulder and/or back won't allow the opening when they try to take the arm up. So, why do it? Leave it, for now, and enjoy the action of the poses.)

The word started as 'drama', morphed to 'fluorishment' (in my excitement), then became a 'dramatic fluorish'. If nothing else, they will remember that word from this class -- and it may, unbeknownst to them, initiate actions to open heart, body and mind.

Go forth in 'fluorishment',