Day: April 17, 2011

Most of my yoga students are beginners. Sometimes my class is the very first yoga class they’ve ever been to. Other times, they tried yoga a number of years ago and this is their first time back in quite a while. They have ailments and areas of sensitivity. They seek out my class because their doctor, friends, or family members told them to give it a try to help their knees, back, hips, increase their flexibility, and lower their stress.

So it was a change of pace for me as a teacher to be asked to sub several times at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). They have a strong yoga program as part of their Student Wellness Office. I got to my first class, ready to focus on stress reduction and relaxation, and quickly realized it wouldn’t work. All of the students had been studying yoga for years and had a very strong practice. They were young, super-healthy med school students who wanted to go to their edge. As students, their edge is identical to mine. I would have to pump up my usually mellow class quickly.

For a split second I panicked, reverting back to old patterns of self-doubt. And then I reminded myself to read the room and take my class up several notches. The only thought running through my mind was, “give them what they need.” I used the sun salutation as a building block, and then added a lot of strength, twist, and balance postures. I was going to have to go for broke so that these students got what they needed. They needed me to bring my A game, and I couldn’t let them down. I had to bring my whole heart and mind into that classroom. I had to tread that line of challenging my students while also being very supportive. It is a tough balance to maintain but I had to go for it because that is exactly what these students need. I needed to fully be there with them, in my top-form teaching zone. My creativity needed to shine through.

The classes went far better than I ever dreamed they would go. I had a student who attended the Friday evening class and then returned Saturday morning bright and early because she enjoyed the Friday night class so much. I had a few students who asked me for advice and help after the class. A few asked for my card because they want to attend my other classes. After a third week in a row of my day job feeling very much like a daily grind, my yoga teaching freed up my spirit and my energy. It amped up my imagination as developed new sequences on the fly. My CUMC students inspired me, challenged me, and ultimately made me feel lighter and more at peace. Finally, I found confidence in making it up as I go along; all I had to do was draw upon my own practice as a student of yoga .

As I boarded the subway after the Saturday morning class, I smiled wide. “Ah, this is where I’m supposed to be. Here is my path.” This is no small revelation.