WELL !!!

After the 5-day intensive, I returned to teaching over the weekend.  I taught a class in Fallbrook on Friday afternoon, and I taught a class in Temecula on Sunday.  A little background:

The class in Fallbrook is part of my schedule; the students are usually regulars, I know them by name, by injury, by practice, even by personality.  The Temecula class is a different type of class, in that instructors rotate teaching it. Almost every Sunday there is a different instructor in the 'seat'.  A challenge for instructor and a challenge for students.

As an instructor, I walk into a room only familiar with 4-5 of the students attending (and perhaps only from previous times I have taught in this rotation). The remaining students are new to me; I don't know their practice, or their personalities, and I must ask about injuries, etc.  There are also more times that a new-to-yoga or new-to-the-studio student may attend this class than the weekday classes.

If I attend this Sunday class as a student, I am never quite sure what I will walk in to -- will the instructor focus on flow? on alignment? will there be emphasis on the physical? or on the spiritual? will we move fast or slow? will I even be able to do the practice? A different instructor each week means that, as a student, I must be very flexible and open to 'whatever'.

So, yesterday, I taught the Sunday class (which, this Summer, I have done a few times already). Many familiar faces in the room; one or two new ones - new to me, that is.

One student, in particular, stood out.  Why?  Well, first, I didn't know the person; second, as I talked about my experience over the past week and the emphasis for Sunday's class, she continued moving (warming up? bored?). The class chanted and, after centering, we began to move.  Simple movement, designed to get the bodies ready for some work.

After warming up a bit, I asked everyone to get a blanket. I planned to have them roll the blanket and sit on vajrasana with blanket behind the knees to further work the legs. It was during this break in the action, that the new-to-me student rolled up her mat and left.

Well! That's a first. I can think of any number of reasons a student might leave - illness, emotional stress, time constraints, not liking what I am teaching, or not liking me. Unfortunately, I am prone to focus on the latter two -- not liking me or my style.

When I teach, especially to a group who are new to the practice, I will always tell people to experiment -- to go to different classes (within their experience level), to go to different instructors, even to go to different studios. Why? Because not all studio vibes will speak to me; not all styles are good for me; and I know - from personal experience - that I will not like every instructor. Let's face it, I am human; I will not enjoy everyone's style of teaching.

However, it struck a flat note for me when a student left the room so early in class. I saw it, I got a bit flustered over it, and I tried to ignore it.  Finally, because everyone else in the room noticed it also, I acknowledged it -- kind of like 'naming the elephant in the middle of the room'. I simply said 'too bad that person left and missed out on all this fun' -- this, while we were doing a bit of challenging work. People chuckled, and I was able to move on and not think about it -- until after class.

Students appeared to enjoy the class; the teachings I shared appeared to be effective. All I can do now is wonder why that person left; was it me? my teaching style? the pace of the class?

I choose to move on.  I did a good job teaching that class, and too bad that person felt the need to leave.

Still, one must say "Well !!!"

Hope you have a great Monday; I plan to.