After a few weeks of teaching my yoga classes on Sunday nights at Pearl Studios, I’ve come to fully appreciate the power of knowing a craft well enough and having the confidence to make it up as I go. Getting used to a new space and a new class always takes time. I expected that. What I didn’t expect, and what I am absolutely delighted about, is the incredible variety of people who are attending the class. Truly an open-level class (from the newest beginners to long-time practitioners), come as you are environment, it’s both challenging and exciting.
The universe is also sending me a sign about where my yoga teaching is headed – in the yoga therapy / medical application setting. To-date, I’ve had several shoulder injury students, and students with fibromyalgia, spina bifida, low back strains, fused vertebrae, and scoliosis. Age has ranged from 18 to 67. Thanks to Meetup, my blog, the Compass website, and general word-of-mouth, the diversity is stunning. And what a gift!
What all this means is that the class I prepare is not the class I give. Every moment, I have to connect with the students, figure out what they need most at that very moment, and provide it. I change out cues and postures. I alter the pace. I offer different imagery. And the students let me know what’s working and what’s not working, and we figure it out together. I’m learning as much as they are, if not more.
Teaching yoga is equal parts giving and receiving. It requires listening, compassion, and empathy. And above all, it requires the ability to throw away everything you thought you knew and had rehearsed for many hours for the sake of providing students with exactly what they need, exactly when they need it. Ego and pride have no place on the mat or in the studio.
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Christa Avampato 