There were a lot of questions about alignment and shoulder alignment, and they seemed to grasp it. Then they jumped right into teaching one-on-one Surya A, which did really well. One of the gifts of BDTT is that it has you teaching on the very first weekend. I think it demystifies teaching, making it incredibly accessible. Lastly we ended in a circle with some sharing. I can't wait to see them next weekend!

Today at my Monday, 6PM Black Dog class I broke the news to the class that Ryan- who was a regular- died last week. Several students cried with me. One of them, Amy, was deeply moved as Ryan was her partner in almost in ever class. Pina and Jodi seemed really sad as well, as did Cary. And of course, Casey who was Ryan's friend and who was the one who first told me of his passing.  I think a lot of us started to do yoga thinking it was going to be this workout that we'd do every now and then. And we pretty soon realized that we found a lifelong path, filled with a community of friends. 

I placed an empty mat in the corner for Ryan with some flowers. 

I plan to do that on Wednesday as well.

There were several new students in class who didn't know Ryan. Afterwards they told me how sorry they were and one even said how grateful he was to be in class tonight. It was a beautiful, mindful class. It was made even more special by the fact that one of my students, brought his dog, "PJ," a lovely service dog who slept in the corner. 

I went to my Al Anon meeting later, as I do every Monday night. I spoke to some members afterwards about losing a friend to a drug overdose, and they were very helpful. Someone reminded me of how powerless we are. This helped as the last time I saw Ryan, we had a long talk after class and I've been replaying that conversation, thinking of what I wished I could have said differently?

Another friend from the program said how sorry she was and added that the bond between a yoga teacher and student is very special. I was so touched by that. It's true; I didn't know Ryan very well but I knew him for over six years. Though there would be times when he wasn't there through the years, he was a regular this year, coming almost every week. There was a moment tonight when I actually thought he was going to walk in, since he used to come late every class. I knew his smile. How much he loved arm balances. How he knew about everything from the benefits of yawning to trivia about the Central Nervous System. He would often surprise me with his obscure knowledge, his powerful practice, and how at the end of every class, he was always the last one to open his eyes after the closing.

It's amazing isn't it? The teacher-student bond. Students touch us teachers, so deeply. I literally think of my students every single day. I think of how did they did in class. I wonder what poses they like. I try to find ways of how can I best serve them. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of several of my students. They live in the yoga studio of my heart.