Halfway during class today I realized that there were several students struggling so I inserted a couple of forward bends with specific breath instructions to soften their excessive effort. I also nixed several poses I thought would make their practice too rajasic (please look at previous post for explanation of the three gunas).

When it was time to do a handstand, I took a longer time than usual because I had to help several students on their handstand, as there were several newbies. I'm not complaining though- It's still so moving to me to see someone get up for the first time! 

When it came time to do urdhva dhanurasana, several students couldn't push up into the pose. I decided to nix the different urdhva variations I had planned and instead go the wall, get two blocks and teach them how to push up with the blocks (the easiest way I know how to teach someone to get up on their own).  Everyone got up except one lovely gentleman who has tight shoulders, but he has the best attitude and got farther than ever.

There is that fine line when teaching a mixed level class where I wonder how much "back to basics" I need to go to and when to move on. What happens when one person can't do it, but everyone else can? When do you push as a teacher, and when do you back off?

I truly live these questions in every class in some way, shape or form. I notice I tend to err on the side of making classes easier than harder. One well known Anusara yoga teacher once told me that the reason why he was so popular was because he "kicked students ass." He was right- he was/is incredibly popular and his classes kicked my ass. That said. I don't know. I don't think I go to yoga to get my ass kicked. I already get that from life and from the challenges of day to day living in a conscious and aware manner. I can go to any class and sweat because I am very focused and intent in my practice. I personally do not like classes where the teacher is "hard" for the sake of being hard. I literally feel my inner body contracting whenever I'm in one of those classes. I takes a very adept teacher to truly challenge students physically while keeping their inner bodies buoyant and light. That said- the words of the aforementioned teacher sometimes haunt me as I do not pack 'em in. So maybe I need to do more chaturangas!

I went on a rant. And now I am back.

As I was saying, there were several new people today and I did a handstand demo. A classic handstand demo where you show how to spot, the foundation, etc. I get a bit self conscious whenever I do that because I think I am BORING students, who have seen this a zillion times.

I think something for me to remember is that I always learn something from watching other teacher's demo. I truly do. I know a lot of students roll their eyes internally when they see another handstand demo, but the possibility of learning something on a deeper scale is always there. And when we think we completely figured out something and we are done with that, we can get too rigid and lose the subtle surprises that come from understanding something from a deeper place. 

Our practice, I think is not only about expansion but also about a deepening of the knowledge that is already there. We might not learn anything new after years of devoted study (in other words, there is no 6th Universal Principle of Alignment; there is no 8th loop!), but we might re-learn what we already know on a deeper scale. I am always learning more about the principles of alignment and the loops, for instance.

Theme: Sattva, quiet strength

Highlights: 

*Got them moving very quickly and I think they liked that. Slowly started to weave the theme which was good, after they had been moving a bit.

*"Place your foundation as if you had roots underneath".

" Remember all those people in your life who give you strength."

*Good idea to go to the wall with two blocks for upward bow.

*Had time to do a short meditation and I guided them into a meditation inspired by the great Sally Kempton where you visualize someone you love and connect to the feeling of love. In this case today, I riffed on that. I had them think of a place that inspires peace in them; ie, a forest, a cathedral, the ocean...) Then tap into that feeling of peace. Then let go of the place but stay with the feeling. I reminded them that that feeling of oneness, of that quiet strength, of peace, is really who we are.

Something to work on:

*In reflecting upon this class, I could have taken more time to explain shoulder loop, as I see now it could have been even more beneficial to the new friends. I don't want to be too hard on myself though.

*I need to remember that I don't bore students. That we all rejoice in hearing again what we know; that it helps us all to listen over and over to the alignment points, to the theme. And I need to remember that if I bring in the theme into the demo then it will never be boring and will have the quality of being new.