FRIDAY & 10-YEAR-OLDS

Friday notes day (& 10-year-olds)??? What could she mean?

In my Yoga Hour class yesterday, I had a 10-year-old appear.  Now, this is a one-hour class designed for an adult population. I do make one exception - 10-year-olds.  They are focused and very attentive students -- even laugh at my jokes!  What more could I ask of any student.

The week was a good one; back to my normal schedule of teaching and attending classes. What did I learn?

1.  That it is difficult to film a class you're subbing. I tried it on Monday - the students are great practitioners, but unwilling to line their mats up in true Anusara® style (this is not an Anusara® class and I believe they have their regular spots in the room, plus - if they noticed it - the camera was a bit intimidating.) I cajoled and encouraged a bit; but, for the sake of class harmony, I let it go.  Filmed with a big empty space in the front row -- good for demos, anyway.

2.  Students struggling with high blood pressure can benefit from as much as a 20-point drop in pressure after a yoga class. This shared to me by a student who regularly tracks blood pressure.

3.  Even one yoga class can make a difference.  I have a student who regularly brings family members to class.  Her brother attended his first yoga class in May; showed up for his second in August. I didn't remember his name, but as we moved through the practice, I remembered the way he moved in the first class.  In the second, I was pleased to see increased awareness.  One class.  Now, two.  Can't wait to see what I see in #3.  (Ahhh, poets -- watch out!)

4.  Make your suggestions - what's the worst that can happen? So long as they're well thought through and clearly stated.  I worry many times about asking questions, making suggestions, commenting on something - why? I worry I won't sound smart enough, or maybe I should have learned this already, or maybe it's already been thought of. BUT, if there's even a 'niggle' (new favorite word) of doubt that it's been asked, thought of, or suggested, I now will go ahead. Stick my neck out.

Oh, it's not always going to work out in my favor.  For example: I recently answered a question - quite authoritatively and with confidence I was correct, I thought. Turns out, according to another person, I was wrong. Now what? Move forward; learn from it; take it in stride, be humble. Not easy, but do-able.

5.  SSA (or ASS) - Sensitivity, Stabilize, Adjust

I find I've been doing a lot of therapeutics in my classes lately (remember a post a while back about how 'students will begin to appear; students who have stuff going on').  I'm going through notes, and I came to John's acronym to use in adjustments and therapeutics.  His teaching:  do SSA; because if you reverse order, you see what we may become in the eyes of someone we're trying to help.

Sensitivity - Tell the student what is going to happen. Then touch and sync with the student, through their breath and heartbeat. Touch is firm, yet sensitive. Fully engaging with hands. I've had an adjustment once that was a light brushing of the hand over my leg -- I've never forgotten it (eeaaauuuu!). I did, however, move away from the hand -- which might have been the intention of the assisting person.

Stabilize - the firm touch of your hands will transmit your sensitive side and also help to stabilize whatever/wherever you are attempting to adjust. There are poses where we use our legs, hips, etc., to help stabilize. Once the adjustment is made, I always let the student know that I'm going to move away -- just a precaution, in case they're relying on me to hold them up.

Adjust - As with my touch, my adjustment needs to be firm yet sensitive. I check in as I move the student. I use my sensitivity to their breath to make the adjustment more effective.

These 3 things transmit to the student that I am capable, I know what I'm doing, and they are safe with me. And, if the adjustment doesn't work (doesn't relieve whatever I'd hoped), then I must be humble enough to acknowledge that, think for a moment, and try something different or tell student I am going to research this a bit more, and I can work with them further when they visit me next (then do it - the research).

6. And, finally, a quote I found 3 days ago and is so applicable this morning:  "Change is inevitable; growth is optional."

Have a nice Friday,