Day 28: The day I had to listen to my inner teacher

Memorial Day!  No time spent in the office.  Even my evening classes were canceled.  So I had the luxury of being able to attempt another back-to-back class session at Haute to inch my way towards the finish line.  I opted to start out with Trevor Hawkin's 101 class.  Because of the holiday, the class was pretty well packed -- there were easily 25 people in there, enjoying a nice gentle practice that began at 10:30am.  I saw a ton of familiar faces -- including several of my 'regulars' for my Sunday 101 class.  I was asked by each one if I was there to sub/teach the 10:30.  It was so fun to say, nope!  I'm here to take with you!

I've always loved taking the 101 class.  Really, any beginner's yoga class at any studio.  It gives you the time to really slow down, work on those important little micro movements that turn a pose from "okay...?" to "ohhhh!" Trevor's class was great -- he brought his same easy going charm and skill to this intro-level class. Pepper that with a little bit of surfer slang (rad!) and his contagious giggle, and you can't help but have a good time.

Trevor opened the class talking about the importance of focusing on the journey, instead of the destination.  It's not about the outcome, but more about going in.  (See that?  Out come/go in... oooh!)  And going in is often about the breath.  So we worked on our breath, worked on our hammies and quads, worked on our hips.  While this particular class was a little heavy on the knees (lots of table top positions like cat/cow and various lunges, which are totally great to do in a 101 class, just tough on my knees that particular day), I had to modify a bit.  But it was really, really nice to take his class.  It was also fun to see that we structure our classes pretty similarly.

After that class wrapped at 11:30, I stayed to take Trevor's next class, a Hot 60A.  However, because it was Memorial Day and so many people were off work, it ended up being filled way past capacity.  No problem, Jeanette just opened up the overflow.  Slight problem in who to teach it.  Yours truly, to the rescue!  I had already talked to Jeanette about the possibility of an overflow, and after explaining that I would if she needed me to, my preference was to not teach because I was really hoping to count the class, as I have a big project at the office job that was going to complicate my class taking ability.  When no one else was able to step forward, I asked Jeanette if she'd mind if I would teach/take -- in other words, practice the whole sequence at the front of the room while giving the instruction and cues.  Jeanette, bless her, gave me the thumbs up so I could count the class towards my goal.

So I taught myself.  I was totally upfront with the other yogis in the room.  I said, Hey, listen, I'm here to take, but they need me to teach, but I need the credit, so bear with me!  People totally got it and were supportive, as many of them were working on their own challenge as well.

Being both student and teacher had it's challenges.  I will admit, there were moments where I found myself getting drawn into the instruction I was hearing (you know, what I was saying!) that I'd lose my 'place' in the sequence, or what I was trying to say.  It also was a challenge to my breath work.  Instead of being able to focus solely on my breath, drawing in long inhales and long exhales, I also had to find the air to speak... loudly, no less!  I hope I wasn't blasting out the two people right up by me.

There was something really cool, though, about being able to truly feel each pose as I was teaching it.  At the very least, I never lacked for asana points -- I just tuned into what my own body was doing that I could either appreciate or correct.  Microbend this or elongate that... there was always something I noticed in myself.  I got up and walked around at a couple of points when we entered sequences that were a bit too taxing on the knees, like pigeon.  Otherwise, I just tried to find that balance of enjoying the class as both the student and teacher.

I often close my classes inviting the students to bow down in thanks to their inner teacher... that little voice that motivated them to come to practice on that given day.  That same voice that kept them safe in each pose, knowing and honoring their particular edge in each posture.  That same voice or guide that regulates the breath and movement, even when the physical being stops being aware of it.  The inner voice that controls muscle memory, which can help a person move through a vinyasa flow with utter fluidity.

I guess in this, my second class of the day, and my 30th class of the challenge, I just got to let my inner teacher speak out loud and share that internal monologue with the other 20 people in the room.  I really appreciate the other's willingness to let me do so.

Day 28

Classes Completed: 2

Yoga 101 - 10:30am - Trevor Hawkins

Hot 60A - 12:00pm - Kelly Clifton

Progress Towards Goal: 30/31