1. First, a big note of congrats to Tiffany on approval of her Certification video. Tiffany teaches at The Shop (with David Belz), and I have attended a few of her classes, and I've practiced alongside her at worshops & trainings. Great teacher with great skills - both as a teacher, a massage therapist, and a person. Congratulations to Tiff !!!
On to the more mundane, but still important:
2. On my website, there is a page called 'contact us' (similar to most websites). Through this page students, or potential students can ask questions in relative anonymity. Today's question was 3-part and caused me to think about each a bit more thoroughly as I answered:
- Part 1 - 'how do I feel about the lds people?' I've come to answer this question very simply - I have many fun and hardworking students who are LDS, so the simple answer might be - 'I think about them, as I do all of the student - with gratitude'. I do believe it is a challenge for them to attend yoga - it is not a mainstream activity, and - with the strong social ties to the church - attending a yoga class requires a bit of independent action and making time to come to class. If you live here, you'll understand; otherwise, maybe not. I recently heard that Gordon Hinckley practiced meditation -- not sure how much or often, but a practice of calming our minds in these days is not to be discouraged.
- Part 2 - 'what about back injuries?' Just ask me about back injuries. I am liable to write a 1,000 word essay on the subject. Or, as I answered, I simply stated that through a committed yoga practice - especially one like Anusara® - we are able to strengthen the support system of the back, re-align to alleviate pressure on nerves and joints, all this to make our backs feel better. I don't know the person who asked the question, so I can't speak to the emotional side of this injury. I have come to realize, tho, that many people identify with their physical (or emotional) struggle. For example, "I'm John Jones, and I have a bad knee." Take away part of that and they are simply "john jones". That's sometimes difficult for "john jones", strange as it sounds.
- Part 3 - 'I'm overweight.' Many people struggle with their weight, and here is where I think yoga 'shoots itself in the foot' through publicity efforts. If we really want to reach mainstream America - why, oh why - do we publish pictures of mainly strong, fit, dressed-to-the-nines, and younger populations in our magazines, catalogs, and other marketing materials? Even my photo shoot the other day, will show me (albeit older) standing in a stream -- how many 'normal' people do that? I did answer the question, stating that through yoga, cortisol levels are stabilized and we are able to bring our weight under control (if that's what we want).
On questions, I've learned to state facts -- I used to be a zealot, answering and cajoling, trying to get everyone on the boat with me. The old saying "you can lead a horse to water . . . " is so appropriate in this situation. These days, I give the facts and it is up to the recipient to act on them one way or the other. And, I must not get too emotionally involved; 'just state the facts, ma'am'. Hard, tho, when I know how much yoga has helped me, and as I see little 'magic moments' for my students almost every day.
3. Speaking of 'magic moments', I took one of the YogaHour classes towards the pose, galavasana, this week. Used the trusty wall. My walls must have more hand, foot, head, and backside prints on them than any other studio in the valley, maybe the state, who knows. I use the wall, a lot. In getting settled down into the entry point for the arm balance part of the pose, I find the wall to be most helpful for students. Cross the leg, innerspiral hips, backside goes back (the wall is somewhere back there, sometimes as just a mental 'crutch'), bring elbows to front of shin -- then, assuming all is going well, fold & plant hands.
Granted, the leg extension can't happen with the wall back there, but the lift-off can happen. For this class, lift-off brought about shouts of glee from the group. Fun to watch and be a part of.
4. I almost broke the 'golden rule' of Anusara® yoga therapy this week. Almost. My photographer mentioned that he had tried yoga once, came away with a tweaked back and spent several months in physical therapy as a result. I sent an e-mail the day after pictures were taken to thank him. In that e-mail, I mentioned that if he would like to explore yoga again, I am pretty sure there's a way to do it without 'tweaking' the back. If he wants more info, call. So, I answered the question that was NOT asked. Couldn't resist, tho. Had to do it. I pointed that out to him, and dropped it - no more will he hear about yoga's benefits from me (unless he asks). Remember that 'lead a horse...' phrase.
5. 'Notice how clapping can change the atmosphere of a room.' I took this from notes from a dharma talk given by JF in Santa Fe in 2007. Why? Because, I learned yesterday there is power in clapping for the individual students, as well. I've recently encountered two students, good friends to one another, and they have begun showing up in my class. One came last night. Her comment to me: "___ was so excited about class last week. She said you had her demo a pose, and then everyone clapped." I had not thought about clapping from the demo'ing student's perspective. Being asked to demo is flattering; having everyone appreciate your efforts makes it even more meaningful.
O.K., my 'notes' fix for the week is accomplished. Hope you have a great weekend.
Enjoy Friday,
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