Routes Of Yoga Teaching Journal - Jami e
What a joy to learn and experience so much in Ubud with Routes of Yoga! I look forward to continuing the journey here as I document my give-back classes with the faculty and staff of Manzano Day School. Much to come soon...
Week One Preparations:
In addition to communicating with the Manzano Day School administration about the scheduling and teacher needs, I’ve also been in email contact with about 14 people who’ve expressed interest in coming to class. There are a few recurrent themes in communications: 1. a lot of scheduling struggles for parents of children of varying ages as they have to pick-up and drop-off at several schools, and 2. First-time yogis curious about what clothes (and shoes, LOL) to wear and if they are “in shape” enough to join. It’s been nice talking with each one and reassuring them and getting a sense of where they’re at. It also prompted me to dig into some more research and personal practice around teaching fundamentals and basics. This will be a true mixed-level teaching experience...several first-timers, several beginners, and a few beg-intermediate. There is only one woman coming that is intermediate/advanced. I really enjoyed this article from Yoga International, it helped me think through some of the subtle considerations for teaching beginners: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/6-tips-for-teaching-yoga-to-beginners.
Class #1, September 24th, 2019: Today I was so excited all morning as I waited for my first yoga class to begin. My Tuesday classes start at 4 PM after-school, I got to the school an hour early to set-up and try to relax into the space. The school is providing a nice, carpeted room for me where the students come for multi-discipline classes during the day. It is a flexible and fun space. I pushed all the tables and chairs to the back corner and rolled up the “Map of the United States” rug. There were eight students for my first class, which was perfect! If many more come I will need to change up my set-up to find room for everyone. I brought a nice little offering table with a candle and some natural elements, and smudged the room with some of our beautiful high-desert sage to clear the space from all the energy and excitement of the 100’s of kids that rotate through here, learning and playing. My first sequence covered a lot of fundamental asanas, moving from seated breathing, to poses in table top, then to standing movements, a bit of extended work/discussion on tree pose, and then down to the floor for some hip openers and bridge before Savasana. I’m keeping a journal dedicated solely to the planning of my sequences which has been helpful. I spoke to some of the origins of sun salutations which seemed to really resonate with some of the students. We broke down classic sun salutations and worked into a flow for four rounds. The group was remarkably all on a very similar physical and energetic level, and only one of the first-timers came and she seemed quite tuned into her body movements. I enjoyed this article on sun salutations from Yoga Journal for some of the history and framework of sun salutations. https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/here-comes-the-sun. Also, this practice being the day following Fall Equinox, it opened up a good opportunity for post-class reflection on the seasonal traditions in the South West regarding light, movement and harvest time. Daphne, if you haven’t already heard of Chaco Canyon National Park here in New Mexico, I think it would be especially interesting to you in regards to sacred geometry and architecture. If you ever get the chance to visit during a solstice or equinox it’s amazing to see the sun, moon and stars line up with the designs. https://www.nps.gov/chcu/learn/historyculture/index.htm
https://adventurepro.us/chaco-canyon-ancient-world/. I enjoyed my first class! I think it went quite well, but the group was very pleasant and on more of a similar level than I expected. This will change...and so will my teaching! If I were to change anything about today I would likely offer a bit more in closing and slow the class pace down a bit. We covered a lot in just over an hour!
In addition to communicating with the Manzano Day School administration about the scheduling and teacher needs, I’ve also been in email contact with about 14 people who’ve expressed interest in coming to class. There are a few recurrent themes in communications: 1. a lot of scheduling struggles for parents of children of varying ages as they have to pick-up and drop-off at several schools, and 2. First-time yogis curious about what clothes (and shoes, LOL) to wear and if they are “in shape” enough to join. It’s been nice talking with each one and reassuring them and getting a sense of where they’re at. It also prompted me to dig into some more research and personal practice around teaching fundamentals and basics. This will be a true mixed-level teaching experience...several first-timers, several beginners, and a few beg-intermediate. There is only one woman coming that is intermediate/advanced. I really enjoyed this article from Yoga International, it helped me think through some of the subtle considerations for teaching beginners: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/6-tips-for-teaching-yoga-to-beginners.
Class #1, September 24th, 2019: Today I was so excited all morning as I waited for my first yoga class to begin. My Tuesday classes start at 4 PM after-school, I got to the school an hour early to set-up and try to relax into the space. The school is providing a nice, carpeted room for me where the students come for multi-discipline classes during the day. It is a flexible and fun space. I pushed all the tables and chairs to the back corner and rolled up the “Map of the United States” rug. There were eight students for my first class, which was perfect! If many more come I will need to change up my set-up to find room for everyone. I brought a nice little offering table with a candle and some natural elements, and smudged the room with some of our beautiful high-desert sage to clear the space from all the energy and excitement of the 100’s of kids that rotate through here, learning and playing. My first sequence covered a lot of fundamental asanas, moving from seated breathing, to poses in table top, then to standing movements, a bit of extended work/discussion on tree pose, and then down to the floor for some hip openers and bridge before Savasana. I’m keeping a journal dedicated solely to the planning of my sequences which has been helpful. I spoke to some of the origins of sun salutations which seemed to really resonate with some of the students. We broke down classic sun salutations and worked into a flow for four rounds. The group was remarkably all on a very similar physical and energetic level, and only one of the first-timers came and she seemed quite tuned into her body movements. I enjoyed this article on sun salutations from Yoga Journal for some of the history and framework of sun salutations. https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/here-comes-the-sun. Also, this practice being the day following Fall Equinox, it opened up a good opportunity for post-class reflection on the seasonal traditions in the South West regarding light, movement and harvest time. Daphne, if you haven’t already heard of Chaco Canyon National Park here in New Mexico, I think it would be especially interesting to you in regards to sacred geometry and architecture. If you ever get the chance to visit during a solstice or equinox it’s amazing to see the sun, moon and stars line up with the designs. https://www.nps.gov/chcu/learn/historyculture/index.htm
https://adventurepro.us/chaco-canyon-ancient-world/. I enjoyed my first class! I think it went quite well, but the group was very pleasant and on more of a similar level than I expected. This will change...and so will my teaching! If I were to change anything about today I would likely offer a bit more in closing and slow the class pace down a bit. We covered a lot in just over an hour!
Class #2 Friday, September 27th
My second class teaching was very different in so many ways from the first! I knew it wouldn’t be the same students, so I planned on using primarily the same sequence as my first class, with focusing on going a little slower and eliminating a few of the more intermediate postures. My Friday morning classes are early - starting at 6:45 AM. I expected this would be a small class, and it was just two people! However, I felt like it was a really wonderful way to connect with these two older women and ease them into yoga in a gentle way. We opened the classroom door to the sunrise over the Sandia mountains to the East...it was such a spectacular, fresh fall morning to learn sun salutations. I really appreciate using knees-chest-chin and gentle Cobra for these beginner flows, as the mobility and flexibility isn’t there yet to go deeper for these two students (in their 60’s) with some “locked-up” places as one mentioned. Although a small group it was nice to help these lifetime teachers tune into themselves and start their day right.
Class #3 Tuesday, October 1st
Ohhhhh, I was so excited today that the Head of School, Cathy H. came to class! It was such a wonderful, surprising thing on several levels. First, to have the top administrator carve out time in her insanely busy schedule is amazing, it sends an encouraging message to the community and models that self-care and balance are top priorities for the leadership of the school, and the whole school at large. (...and it made me feel personally supported and honored by her presence as well.) Also, I was so happy for Cathy on a personal level as I know that she does/has neglected her self-care at times due to the overwhelming stress and exhaustion of being a leader. In fact, Cathy was the Assistant Head of School when I worked at the school in the past, and has just assumed the Head position this year, so I know it’s been extra busy and sleepless for her this year.
The class I offered today was focused on slowing down with the fall time and changing seasons and taking the time to look/turn inwards. We reviewed different resting postures and took pauses between sets of asanas to feel our bodies and breath, like a modified Sivananda practice. The multi-level group of nine students handled it very well with a few folks needing to modify sitting postures due to knee injuries. I’ve been really enjoying the class size because I can easily see everyone and help those that ask for guidance.
Class #4 Friday, October 4th
Bright and early! I’m by far the first person to arrive at campus on Fridays, getting there about 6:15. Luckily, my husband has shifted his work schedule and has Fridays off now, so I am able to use the car that we share to get there more easily. Fridays continue to be a small group with more of a beginner focus. The three women that joined me today have all done some yoga before, but many years ago. I once again adapted my Tuesday class to tone it down a bit, eliminating a piece of the standing flow that had Warrior 3 and standing split. The students seem really appreciative and said they felt very energized and focused to face the challenges of the day!
Also, Cathy, Head of School stopped me this morning on campus after class and said she had the best time at the Tuesday class and was really impressed with the teaching and the seamless flow. What a confidence boost! She said she felt great afterwards and has never enjoyed a yoga class as much as mine. How nice. (Yoga glow!)
Class #5 Tuesday, October 8th
Today’s class I focused on the practice of receiving. I spent some time thinking through and doing some reading on how we accept (or don’t accept!) gifts from others, nature, the universe, etc. I think it was a helpful theme for this group of dedicated educators, as they spend so much time giving and can be quick to shun gifts/compliments, etc. A few tidbits from my talking points in the class include:
- To practice accepting gifts helps us to live, and give, with more meaning.
-To take in and assimilate a gift continues the exchange of universal balance and energy flow. Ask yourself, “Can you take it in?”
- Thinking about the steps of receiving, begin with 1. Presence of mind to notice the gift being offered. 2. Avoid judgment/evaluation of the gift. 3. Receive the prasad (take in the energy blessing)
I was pleased with the focus of the group during breath work, during which we brought some hand movements in. My group has been growing by one or two students each class, and I’ve had a friend who is more advanced join us. She is keeping me on my toes and gives me a chance to incorporate advanced options into the teaching. Challenging but fun!
The class was very nurturing feeling, a steady pace with a full energizing flow for the 30-40 minutes with some nice restorative supine poses at the end. The class seemed very blissed out afterwards! Nice.
My second class teaching was very different in so many ways from the first! I knew it wouldn’t be the same students, so I planned on using primarily the same sequence as my first class, with focusing on going a little slower and eliminating a few of the more intermediate postures. My Friday morning classes are early - starting at 6:45 AM. I expected this would be a small class, and it was just two people! However, I felt like it was a really wonderful way to connect with these two older women and ease them into yoga in a gentle way. We opened the classroom door to the sunrise over the Sandia mountains to the East...it was such a spectacular, fresh fall morning to learn sun salutations. I really appreciate using knees-chest-chin and gentle Cobra for these beginner flows, as the mobility and flexibility isn’t there yet to go deeper for these two students (in their 60’s) with some “locked-up” places as one mentioned. Although a small group it was nice to help these lifetime teachers tune into themselves and start their day right.
Class #3 Tuesday, October 1st
Ohhhhh, I was so excited today that the Head of School, Cathy H. came to class! It was such a wonderful, surprising thing on several levels. First, to have the top administrator carve out time in her insanely busy schedule is amazing, it sends an encouraging message to the community and models that self-care and balance are top priorities for the leadership of the school, and the whole school at large. (...and it made me feel personally supported and honored by her presence as well.) Also, I was so happy for Cathy on a personal level as I know that she does/has neglected her self-care at times due to the overwhelming stress and exhaustion of being a leader. In fact, Cathy was the Assistant Head of School when I worked at the school in the past, and has just assumed the Head position this year, so I know it’s been extra busy and sleepless for her this year.
The class I offered today was focused on slowing down with the fall time and changing seasons and taking the time to look/turn inwards. We reviewed different resting postures and took pauses between sets of asanas to feel our bodies and breath, like a modified Sivananda practice. The multi-level group of nine students handled it very well with a few folks needing to modify sitting postures due to knee injuries. I’ve been really enjoying the class size because I can easily see everyone and help those that ask for guidance.
Class #4 Friday, October 4th
Bright and early! I’m by far the first person to arrive at campus on Fridays, getting there about 6:15. Luckily, my husband has shifted his work schedule and has Fridays off now, so I am able to use the car that we share to get there more easily. Fridays continue to be a small group with more of a beginner focus. The three women that joined me today have all done some yoga before, but many years ago. I once again adapted my Tuesday class to tone it down a bit, eliminating a piece of the standing flow that had Warrior 3 and standing split. The students seem really appreciative and said they felt very energized and focused to face the challenges of the day!
Also, Cathy, Head of School stopped me this morning on campus after class and said she had the best time at the Tuesday class and was really impressed with the teaching and the seamless flow. What a confidence boost! She said she felt great afterwards and has never enjoyed a yoga class as much as mine. How nice. (Yoga glow!)
Class #5 Tuesday, October 8th
Today’s class I focused on the practice of receiving. I spent some time thinking through and doing some reading on how we accept (or don’t accept!) gifts from others, nature, the universe, etc. I think it was a helpful theme for this group of dedicated educators, as they spend so much time giving and can be quick to shun gifts/compliments, etc. A few tidbits from my talking points in the class include:
- To practice accepting gifts helps us to live, and give, with more meaning.
-To take in and assimilate a gift continues the exchange of universal balance and energy flow. Ask yourself, “Can you take it in?”
- Thinking about the steps of receiving, begin with 1. Presence of mind to notice the gift being offered. 2. Avoid judgment/evaluation of the gift. 3. Receive the prasad (take in the energy blessing)
I was pleased with the focus of the group during breath work, during which we brought some hand movements in. My group has been growing by one or two students each class, and I’ve had a friend who is more advanced join us. She is keeping me on my toes and gives me a chance to incorporate advanced options into the teaching. Challenging but fun!
The class was very nurturing feeling, a steady pace with a full energizing flow for the 30-40 minutes with some nice restorative supine poses at the end. The class seemed very blissed out afterwards! Nice.
Class # 6 Tuesday, October 15th
Today’s class was a “Low & Slow” class...it’s been really windy here in New Mexico and with the cooling temperatures folks were seeming a little overwhelmed this week. We stayed fairly close to the ground today! The last two weeks were the International Hot Air Balloon festival (which I’ve been working at at 4 AM every morning!) This is the biggest balloon festival in the world, and a tiring time for our community. So after all that flying high in the sky (or watching) I figured people needed some re-grounding! It was very well received and we did some chairs and wide-legged squats. I introduced and practiced Crow with the beginners/intermediates, and gave my friend Ellen some time to flow through some advanced posture options. Two new students joined today, very limited flexibility and in their 60’s so needed to take some time to settle into fundamental postures.
Class #7 Friday, October 18th
My Friday morning classes have been lightly attended, but I’m finding a lot of value in it in terms of teaching. It gives me a lot of pause in finding simple, clear ways to describe the most basic forms. I have just two dedicated Friday students, one who’s had double knee surgery in the past and one who is new to yoga. They both have very limited balance and range of motion in their joints. This is giving me a lot to work with for teaching! We are working on very basic balance and they are really appreciative of the opportunity. I’m also hoping to source some bolsters and blocks soon, as props would be really helpful, but my finances are tight for now, so we’re just making do. One of these students can’t be in child’s pose comfortably, for example. I’ve been bringing blankets and towels, and there are some padded cube shaped stools in the room we use creatively at times! Both students were excited by activating their shoulders in overhead positions such as chair and reverse warrior/extended side angle. They were surprised at the challenge and the sensations of flowing through side body stretches. The strength isn't there for full Down dog, etc, so we are moving very thoughtfully through preparatory movements. The internet has been my friend!
Class #8 Tuesday, October 22nd
One of my Tuesday regulars, Christine has been messaging me a few times over this past week to tell me what incredible change and relief she has been having in her hips and lower back. She says she feels herself standing differently throughout the day and being more aware of how she’s bending over students’ desks, standing during recess and carpool duties, etc. Very cool! She has three kids and is always going a million miles a minute, so it’s pretty awesome she has committed to this hour to herself each week. Today’s class was themed around trust in ourselves and the strength of our bodies to support and heal themselves. We began laying down today, breathing and working our way up slowly. Lot’s of run-down teachers this time of year! Cold and flu season is full-on. My core group of seven Tuesday students have done some really nice work with breath and meditation, so today I finished with candle-gazing, which was one of my favorite activities during YTT in Ubud! There are little student wooden stools in the class that are the perfect height for a sitting adult’s eye-level. I placed one candle in front of each student and found a nice use for a collection of printed silk scarves and runners I’ve had for years, laying one over each bench. One student said later that it was like having a private, pretty meditation bubble! I liked the metaphor of “holding onto the light” in our mind’s eye as a reminder of self-care during these short and dark days of fall.
I had a new student today - with prior yoga experience so she easily joined into the asanas, bringing her own block for her adjustments due to a pelvic injury. This is the woman who took over my previous position in the mountains, and I know she is going through a painful and unexpected break-up with her boyfriend. This was an interesting experience for me with teaching, as it was clear she was going through a lot of emotional processes during class, especially around the topic of trust. It’s interesting knowing some of these students personally and remaining a neutral yoga teacher, providing the opportunity for introspection. I have been keeping conversations very simple and yoga-focused before and after class for this reason, and felt I was able to provide a really peaceful class today for folks to do some turning inward. I have to make a pointed awareness to keep from taking on too much of the heavy emotions in the room, as I can really feel them some days like today. I’ve started sage-smudging the room after the students leave and doing a short relaxation practice of my own...a nice space to use!
Class #9 Friday, October 25th
My morning class today was a great chance to get more into warrior postures, working from narrower stances for some of the limitations in this group due to injury and level. We spent a lot of time getting into our shoulders with different arm positions. One of the students, Sandy, recently quit going to Orange Theory Fitness, which I understand is some type of a coached fitness class franchise, per her doctor’s recommendation. He told her to try yoga and she’s loving it! After rehabbing her knee surgeries, she had begun to feel rotator cuff injuries starting at the fitness studio. She said the movements here in yoga feel challenging but she’s not scared of any of the tearing/painful sensations. She also says she feels REALLY good all day teaching on Friday, better than the rest of the week. I joked with her that it might also be that the weekend feels so close:) I’m using blankets quite a lot with this class for padding under knees and as a roll along the spine, in reclined bound angle for example.
Class #10 Tuesday, October 29th
Today’s class I focused on opening the front body. It was really deep and self-care focused. We moved pretty slowly after our warm-up, but I wouldn’t say it was necessarily a Yin style or anything. We just really took some time to tune into postures and use breath to sink into hip, chest, shoulder opening. Toward the end of class I introduced some tennis balls and three positions I have researched to target the pectoral muscles and the iliopsoas release (lying face-down on the tennis balls on target spots.) It was different and fun to use a new prop, and addressed some of the areas students have told me they struggle with. I recognized some areas of instruction I need to broaden in our opening flows, specifically describing how to move from three-legged dog into opening up/wild thing and also to give more direction from 3-legged dog into hugging the knee to chest before lunge. When the practice becomes more dynamic I’m continuing to build my vocabulary to keep up with quicker-pacing without over-doing the instruction.
On a personal note: I’ve been having such an interesting and challenging few weeks as I’ve been substitute teaching in the Albuquerque Public Schools during the day, mostly in lower grade P.E. classes. It’s been tough and really bringing up a lot for me as it’s been a few years since I’ve worked with such deeply disenfranchised youth. There is so much extreme neglect and abuse in the student population. You can see clearly that the vast majority of these impoverished students are coming to school with emotional neglect at a minimum. The physical signs of abuse are really profound also in a handful of students: burns, scars, bruises, etc. Very tired and anxious as a whole group. Really sad.
The teachers in these schools are beyond burn-out. They are depleted, jaded, negative, hopeless...I couldn’t even get anyone to acknowledge me in the teacher’s lounge after over a week of saying hello. I feel empathetic for their struggles and the shortcomings of the education system, but it is still so disappointing to hear the conversations of disgruntled teachers.
Most of the students are very receptive at these schools...they are starved for kindness and attention. Of course, there is lot’s of defiance and sometimes running away from school also - P.E. class on the schoolyard being a natural time for some acting out. I’ve switched out the normal “running laps” around the school yard for the first 15 minutes of class and introduced “Yoga Circle” which the younger kids absolutely LOVE.....with third grade and above it’s been more difficult to get engagement. By age 9-10 they are more self-conscious and the beginning of “boy-girl giggles” has begun. I’m going to explore making more personal space/self-focus.
I felt so many conflicting thoughts when I arrived at Manzano Day School this afternoon to teach my regular yoga class. The children on the schoolyard here are so happy, joyous, nurtured. What a shocking contrast to the public schools. This non-profit school community has truly done magic in creating a living theme of “Joy in Learning.” They’ve had generations and generations to do it and a really rich history of engagement. It’s a living legend! I am choosing to not be too discouraged by the larger disfunction in the public schools, but to be happy to see the hope in a model that works and a seed of possibility in this strong tradition of parent-school-child health and happiness. In teaching my yoga class, I know that I am fueling the teachers that are making a huge impact and are truly receptive to the self-care and powerful potential of a fine-tuned mind-body awareness. I hope that the seeds that are planted here can spread some peace and joy within not only the Manzano educational family but beyond in the neighborhoods, friends and colleagues that these powerful, aware teachers have in the intimate state that is New Mexico.
Today’s class was a “Low & Slow” class...it’s been really windy here in New Mexico and with the cooling temperatures folks were seeming a little overwhelmed this week. We stayed fairly close to the ground today! The last two weeks were the International Hot Air Balloon festival (which I’ve been working at at 4 AM every morning!) This is the biggest balloon festival in the world, and a tiring time for our community. So after all that flying high in the sky (or watching) I figured people needed some re-grounding! It was very well received and we did some chairs and wide-legged squats. I introduced and practiced Crow with the beginners/intermediates, and gave my friend Ellen some time to flow through some advanced posture options. Two new students joined today, very limited flexibility and in their 60’s so needed to take some time to settle into fundamental postures.
Class #7 Friday, October 18th
My Friday morning classes have been lightly attended, but I’m finding a lot of value in it in terms of teaching. It gives me a lot of pause in finding simple, clear ways to describe the most basic forms. I have just two dedicated Friday students, one who’s had double knee surgery in the past and one who is new to yoga. They both have very limited balance and range of motion in their joints. This is giving me a lot to work with for teaching! We are working on very basic balance and they are really appreciative of the opportunity. I’m also hoping to source some bolsters and blocks soon, as props would be really helpful, but my finances are tight for now, so we’re just making do. One of these students can’t be in child’s pose comfortably, for example. I’ve been bringing blankets and towels, and there are some padded cube shaped stools in the room we use creatively at times! Both students were excited by activating their shoulders in overhead positions such as chair and reverse warrior/extended side angle. They were surprised at the challenge and the sensations of flowing through side body stretches. The strength isn't there for full Down dog, etc, so we are moving very thoughtfully through preparatory movements. The internet has been my friend!
Class #8 Tuesday, October 22nd
One of my Tuesday regulars, Christine has been messaging me a few times over this past week to tell me what incredible change and relief she has been having in her hips and lower back. She says she feels herself standing differently throughout the day and being more aware of how she’s bending over students’ desks, standing during recess and carpool duties, etc. Very cool! She has three kids and is always going a million miles a minute, so it’s pretty awesome she has committed to this hour to herself each week. Today’s class was themed around trust in ourselves and the strength of our bodies to support and heal themselves. We began laying down today, breathing and working our way up slowly. Lot’s of run-down teachers this time of year! Cold and flu season is full-on. My core group of seven Tuesday students have done some really nice work with breath and meditation, so today I finished with candle-gazing, which was one of my favorite activities during YTT in Ubud! There are little student wooden stools in the class that are the perfect height for a sitting adult’s eye-level. I placed one candle in front of each student and found a nice use for a collection of printed silk scarves and runners I’ve had for years, laying one over each bench. One student said later that it was like having a private, pretty meditation bubble! I liked the metaphor of “holding onto the light” in our mind’s eye as a reminder of self-care during these short and dark days of fall.
I had a new student today - with prior yoga experience so she easily joined into the asanas, bringing her own block for her adjustments due to a pelvic injury. This is the woman who took over my previous position in the mountains, and I know she is going through a painful and unexpected break-up with her boyfriend. This was an interesting experience for me with teaching, as it was clear she was going through a lot of emotional processes during class, especially around the topic of trust. It’s interesting knowing some of these students personally and remaining a neutral yoga teacher, providing the opportunity for introspection. I have been keeping conversations very simple and yoga-focused before and after class for this reason, and felt I was able to provide a really peaceful class today for folks to do some turning inward. I have to make a pointed awareness to keep from taking on too much of the heavy emotions in the room, as I can really feel them some days like today. I’ve started sage-smudging the room after the students leave and doing a short relaxation practice of my own...a nice space to use!
Class #9 Friday, October 25th
My morning class today was a great chance to get more into warrior postures, working from narrower stances for some of the limitations in this group due to injury and level. We spent a lot of time getting into our shoulders with different arm positions. One of the students, Sandy, recently quit going to Orange Theory Fitness, which I understand is some type of a coached fitness class franchise, per her doctor’s recommendation. He told her to try yoga and she’s loving it! After rehabbing her knee surgeries, she had begun to feel rotator cuff injuries starting at the fitness studio. She said the movements here in yoga feel challenging but she’s not scared of any of the tearing/painful sensations. She also says she feels REALLY good all day teaching on Friday, better than the rest of the week. I joked with her that it might also be that the weekend feels so close:) I’m using blankets quite a lot with this class for padding under knees and as a roll along the spine, in reclined bound angle for example.
Class #10 Tuesday, October 29th
Today’s class I focused on opening the front body. It was really deep and self-care focused. We moved pretty slowly after our warm-up, but I wouldn’t say it was necessarily a Yin style or anything. We just really took some time to tune into postures and use breath to sink into hip, chest, shoulder opening. Toward the end of class I introduced some tennis balls and three positions I have researched to target the pectoral muscles and the iliopsoas release (lying face-down on the tennis balls on target spots.) It was different and fun to use a new prop, and addressed some of the areas students have told me they struggle with. I recognized some areas of instruction I need to broaden in our opening flows, specifically describing how to move from three-legged dog into opening up/wild thing and also to give more direction from 3-legged dog into hugging the knee to chest before lunge. When the practice becomes more dynamic I’m continuing to build my vocabulary to keep up with quicker-pacing without over-doing the instruction.
On a personal note: I’ve been having such an interesting and challenging few weeks as I’ve been substitute teaching in the Albuquerque Public Schools during the day, mostly in lower grade P.E. classes. It’s been tough and really bringing up a lot for me as it’s been a few years since I’ve worked with such deeply disenfranchised youth. There is so much extreme neglect and abuse in the student population. You can see clearly that the vast majority of these impoverished students are coming to school with emotional neglect at a minimum. The physical signs of abuse are really profound also in a handful of students: burns, scars, bruises, etc. Very tired and anxious as a whole group. Really sad.
The teachers in these schools are beyond burn-out. They are depleted, jaded, negative, hopeless...I couldn’t even get anyone to acknowledge me in the teacher’s lounge after over a week of saying hello. I feel empathetic for their struggles and the shortcomings of the education system, but it is still so disappointing to hear the conversations of disgruntled teachers.
Most of the students are very receptive at these schools...they are starved for kindness and attention. Of course, there is lot’s of defiance and sometimes running away from school also - P.E. class on the schoolyard being a natural time for some acting out. I’ve switched out the normal “running laps” around the school yard for the first 15 minutes of class and introduced “Yoga Circle” which the younger kids absolutely LOVE.....with third grade and above it’s been more difficult to get engagement. By age 9-10 they are more self-conscious and the beginning of “boy-girl giggles” has begun. I’m going to explore making more personal space/self-focus.
I felt so many conflicting thoughts when I arrived at Manzano Day School this afternoon to teach my regular yoga class. The children on the schoolyard here are so happy, joyous, nurtured. What a shocking contrast to the public schools. This non-profit school community has truly done magic in creating a living theme of “Joy in Learning.” They’ve had generations and generations to do it and a really rich history of engagement. It’s a living legend! I am choosing to not be too discouraged by the larger disfunction in the public schools, but to be happy to see the hope in a model that works and a seed of possibility in this strong tradition of parent-school-child health and happiness. In teaching my yoga class, I know that I am fueling the teachers that are making a huge impact and are truly receptive to the self-care and powerful potential of a fine-tuned mind-body awareness. I hope that the seeds that are planted here can spread some peace and joy within not only the Manzano educational family but beyond in the neighborhoods, friends and colleagues that these powerful, aware teachers have in the intimate state that is New Mexico.
Class #11 Tuesday, November 5th
Today’s class I asked students to really focus on the balance of finding equal distance/equal length in postures. It was a pretty challenging class, which I think was just a touch too much for two of my students. I introduced half-moon pose and used some make-shift props, it’s an example of a pose that it’s hard to find modifications in for someone who is still really struggling with one-leg standing. But on the flip-side some of my students really welcomed the challenge of 4 or so poses I put in with a higher level of challenge. There was one new student today, Kathleen, who is struggling with a chronic neck injury and has been wanting to come for a while to class. I thought to myself when she walked in, “Whew, what a class to start with!,” as I had planned a pretty tough sequence. But I spent some time talking with her before we got started and offered lots of resting poses....she did a great job modifying and not entering compromising positions like plough, but I still felt that I had to keep an eye in each position to be sure she was ok. Thankfully she seems to know her limits and is being cautious! I’m glad she came. She moves in walking like she is in SO MUCH PAIN, it is nearly unbearable to watch. Her doctor cleared her for yoga and she’s in PT, but I still felt a little overwhelmed by her pain. After the class was done I did a post-class smudge and did some of my own relaxation yoga for 30 minutes....I really needed it after a full day in different schools. It was energetically challenging to switch from school teacher to yoga teacher with just 45 minutes between. I don’t think I will take any more Tuesday substitute teaching assignments for now and make that my personal day until yoga class!
Class #12 Friday, November 8th
Over the Halloween weekend I ran a 5K race. I ran it a little too fast on a cold morning, which resulted in a little flare-up of knee pain and swelling for me over the last few weeks. Thankfully, yoga has felt great in most positions so my personal practice has been going strong, and I have taken some nice classes at a new studio that has an introductory special! The minor knee injury has actually been a great time for me to take a look at knee health and strengthening through yoga. For today’s class I taught a class focused on sensitive knees/healthy knees, which was perfect since one of my Friday students has recovered from double knee surgery in the past and is always looking for ways to stay healthy in her joints. We started in staff pose with a blanket roll under the backs of our knees and did some different activating movements here, like lifting the heels, rotating from the femur, etc. It felt really good! This class also had a lot of a core focus with quite a lot of work in boat pose and on our backs. Very active way to start the day! Seemed just challenging enough for the group.
Class #13 Tuesday, November 12th
Today was Parent-Teacher Conferences day, so the teachers that came to my class were REALLY happy to be taking a break from talking and output. I’m really impressed at how many people held onto this time in an otherwise packed day! Amazing self-care and pre-planning. I am happy to see how many folks seem to really cherish this hour. For several of them it’s basically the only thing they are doing for themselves each week. Knowing that this was a busy and stressful day for teachers, I let the start of class be quite slow and quiet, we did some self-massage on facial pressure points and some seated movements with long, slow breathing before moving onto our backs. Basically it was a little bit of a reverse class, working our way into standing postures for the second half of the class after the participants seemed to have a nice amount of time to re-set and relax on the floor. We spent a lot of time getting into hips today, as that seems to be the primary area of need for my Tuesday class. Each standing flow included some additional time in a hip opener/stabilizer. It was a very focused and deeply present energy today from the group. You could just feel them soaking up the practice!
Class #14 Friday, November 15th
This morning class was a really nice sunrise class, with an group of equal ability. It was a really light, peaceful energy in the group. It seemed like the student’s energies brightened with the sun rising over the Sandia Mountains, and once again they commented how energized and ready to face the day they were! I love hearing that. We did a continual flow but at a relaxed pace, really getting into our breaths and hips with a few variations of twisting lunges, Lizard, etc.
I always orient my Friday morning classes to the east so they can look out the windows toward the sunrise. Tuesdays I have class facing South since the classroom is set-up that direction toward the whiteboard and I feel like the teachers don’t get distracted by the after-school student/parent chaos out the windows that way!
Class #15 Tuesday, November 19th
This afternoon I held a “Vin-Yin” class inspired by a class I took over the weekend. The participants loved it! It was a nice way to get them building some heat and stress-reduction with some beginner vinyasa flows followed by the second half of the class being more still and introspective in yin/restorative. I will say it wasn’t exactly like full-on Yin timing of 3 mins+ in each pose, but more like 1-2 mins (so maybe that’s more “restorative?!” Oh, Yoga Name Game, how you confuse us all! LOL) I also have been challenging myself in my teaching to have patience for holding longer times in poses for my students and also in Savasana, and adopt the “less is more” attitude to planning my sequences. It’s easy for my to want to squeeze lots of “good stuff” in, but I recognize the value of spending some more time slowing it down, sinking into the full potential of each pose. Today was a good opportunity for me to practice this!
I spent a good bit of time at the beginning of class introducing the ideas of what Vinyasa and Yin are, and letting students know about some of the mental-physical aspects of Yin. I have really appreciated how much my core group of students are really engaged in the learning and inquiry into different styles and learning about yogic concepts and anatomy. I really don’t have anyone coming to class that seems like they are just there for “fitness,” which is a refreshing difference from some yoga studio populations here in the city. It’s really feeling like a thoughtful and receptive community, and I love the check-in’s and questions that some of the students text message or email me between classes. It keeps me on my toes and I love an opportunity to research the questions, which are often about anatomy and breathing. I’ve been finding myself doing so much personal practice at home and in conjunction with planning my next classes that I am seldom getting out to a studio class...which is mostly good since transportation is challenging with my husband having our car all day at work far in the South Valley of Albuquerque. I do value when I get out to a class once in a while because it keeps me elevated in my interactions with new teachers and styles and gets me out of the house during this very cold and icy time of year!
Today’s class I asked students to really focus on the balance of finding equal distance/equal length in postures. It was a pretty challenging class, which I think was just a touch too much for two of my students. I introduced half-moon pose and used some make-shift props, it’s an example of a pose that it’s hard to find modifications in for someone who is still really struggling with one-leg standing. But on the flip-side some of my students really welcomed the challenge of 4 or so poses I put in with a higher level of challenge. There was one new student today, Kathleen, who is struggling with a chronic neck injury and has been wanting to come for a while to class. I thought to myself when she walked in, “Whew, what a class to start with!,” as I had planned a pretty tough sequence. But I spent some time talking with her before we got started and offered lots of resting poses....she did a great job modifying and not entering compromising positions like plough, but I still felt that I had to keep an eye in each position to be sure she was ok. Thankfully she seems to know her limits and is being cautious! I’m glad she came. She moves in walking like she is in SO MUCH PAIN, it is nearly unbearable to watch. Her doctor cleared her for yoga and she’s in PT, but I still felt a little overwhelmed by her pain. After the class was done I did a post-class smudge and did some of my own relaxation yoga for 30 minutes....I really needed it after a full day in different schools. It was energetically challenging to switch from school teacher to yoga teacher with just 45 minutes between. I don’t think I will take any more Tuesday substitute teaching assignments for now and make that my personal day until yoga class!
Class #12 Friday, November 8th
Over the Halloween weekend I ran a 5K race. I ran it a little too fast on a cold morning, which resulted in a little flare-up of knee pain and swelling for me over the last few weeks. Thankfully, yoga has felt great in most positions so my personal practice has been going strong, and I have taken some nice classes at a new studio that has an introductory special! The minor knee injury has actually been a great time for me to take a look at knee health and strengthening through yoga. For today’s class I taught a class focused on sensitive knees/healthy knees, which was perfect since one of my Friday students has recovered from double knee surgery in the past and is always looking for ways to stay healthy in her joints. We started in staff pose with a blanket roll under the backs of our knees and did some different activating movements here, like lifting the heels, rotating from the femur, etc. It felt really good! This class also had a lot of a core focus with quite a lot of work in boat pose and on our backs. Very active way to start the day! Seemed just challenging enough for the group.
Class #13 Tuesday, November 12th
Today was Parent-Teacher Conferences day, so the teachers that came to my class were REALLY happy to be taking a break from talking and output. I’m really impressed at how many people held onto this time in an otherwise packed day! Amazing self-care and pre-planning. I am happy to see how many folks seem to really cherish this hour. For several of them it’s basically the only thing they are doing for themselves each week. Knowing that this was a busy and stressful day for teachers, I let the start of class be quite slow and quiet, we did some self-massage on facial pressure points and some seated movements with long, slow breathing before moving onto our backs. Basically it was a little bit of a reverse class, working our way into standing postures for the second half of the class after the participants seemed to have a nice amount of time to re-set and relax on the floor. We spent a lot of time getting into hips today, as that seems to be the primary area of need for my Tuesday class. Each standing flow included some additional time in a hip opener/stabilizer. It was a very focused and deeply present energy today from the group. You could just feel them soaking up the practice!
Class #14 Friday, November 15th
This morning class was a really nice sunrise class, with an group of equal ability. It was a really light, peaceful energy in the group. It seemed like the student’s energies brightened with the sun rising over the Sandia Mountains, and once again they commented how energized and ready to face the day they were! I love hearing that. We did a continual flow but at a relaxed pace, really getting into our breaths and hips with a few variations of twisting lunges, Lizard, etc.
I always orient my Friday morning classes to the east so they can look out the windows toward the sunrise. Tuesdays I have class facing South since the classroom is set-up that direction toward the whiteboard and I feel like the teachers don’t get distracted by the after-school student/parent chaos out the windows that way!
Class #15 Tuesday, November 19th
This afternoon I held a “Vin-Yin” class inspired by a class I took over the weekend. The participants loved it! It was a nice way to get them building some heat and stress-reduction with some beginner vinyasa flows followed by the second half of the class being more still and introspective in yin/restorative. I will say it wasn’t exactly like full-on Yin timing of 3 mins+ in each pose, but more like 1-2 mins (so maybe that’s more “restorative?!” Oh, Yoga Name Game, how you confuse us all! LOL) I also have been challenging myself in my teaching to have patience for holding longer times in poses for my students and also in Savasana, and adopt the “less is more” attitude to planning my sequences. It’s easy for my to want to squeeze lots of “good stuff” in, but I recognize the value of spending some more time slowing it down, sinking into the full potential of each pose. Today was a good opportunity for me to practice this!
I spent a good bit of time at the beginning of class introducing the ideas of what Vinyasa and Yin are, and letting students know about some of the mental-physical aspects of Yin. I have really appreciated how much my core group of students are really engaged in the learning and inquiry into different styles and learning about yogic concepts and anatomy. I really don’t have anyone coming to class that seems like they are just there for “fitness,” which is a refreshing difference from some yoga studio populations here in the city. It’s really feeling like a thoughtful and receptive community, and I love the check-in’s and questions that some of the students text message or email me between classes. It keeps me on my toes and I love an opportunity to research the questions, which are often about anatomy and breathing. I’ve been finding myself doing so much personal practice at home and in conjunction with planning my next classes that I am seldom getting out to a studio class...which is mostly good since transportation is challenging with my husband having our car all day at work far in the South Valley of Albuquerque. I do value when I get out to a class once in a while because it keeps me elevated in my interactions with new teachers and styles and gets me out of the house during this very cold and icy time of year!
Class #16 Friday, November 22nd
This will be my last Friday morning class, and I was happy to have the four morning students come and close our process together. We would have had a few more sessions but there were several holiday trips planned by my students that were going to disrupt attendance, so it became a natural ending point this week. I felt that I gave some good introduction to yoga and received nice feedback from these students, but it has been a more inconsistent group than I had hoped for on Fridays. Still, getting people exposed to yoga for the very first time and opening them to what their bodies can do was really powerful and I was pleased to see the receptiveness. My goal with this last class was to revisit each of the fundamental poses we had practiced this year and explain/practice the basics of alignment for each, and then with this baseline we practiced a 30 minute beginner flow that they could use at home anytime. I created a hand-out for them to use to remind themselves. They were over the moon with this! Teachers love “lesson plans,” and they seemed happy to have a resource to continue exploring yoga in their own time.
Class #17 Tuesday November 26th
I’m REALLY impressed with the way my Tuesday students are progressing! They are exploring crow and headstand and finding more stability in balancing postures like Half Moon and Warrior III. My friend Ellen whom recently had a baby, is feeling stronger every week, returning to some of her pre-baby advanced practices. She gives the other students a great example of full expressions of Crow, headstand ,etc. and she keeps me on my teaching toes, giving me a challenge to build in multi-level options into the sequence. Offering choices and modifications are getting to be my jam! There are so many different levels in this class, this has been a stellar opportunity in class design.
This was a really joyous class today- much due to the fact that the school will be closed starting tomorrow for a five-day weekend for Thanksgiving! Wonderful time to talk about self-care and slowing down. My sequence was themed around ”Grounding in a Hectic Time.” The week leading to Thanskgiving is like a sprint for teachers. There are report cards and holiday classroom parties and lot’s of squeezing things in ‘till the end. It felt really special that their last hour on campus after all that busyness got to be an hour that they committed to themselves and their practice. We finished with a deep, super-silent candlelight Savasana. Lots of hugs amongst the group after class and a seemingly clear and light energy. Someone shouted “we made it!”
Class #18 Tuesday, December 3rd
For this post-holiday class I focused our movements on twists and compressions to fire up the digestive system. Our silly Thanksgiving holiday weekend often focusing on over-consumption and gluttony for so many!
For my holiday weekend, I road-tripped into the mountains of Taos with my step-son Dakota and husband Josh, where we went for a snowy and sunny hike...the best kind of New Mexico day! (We also ate our fair share of turkey and potatoes:)
The class sequence also a strong focus on back strengthening in Locust variations and core activating postures. The group seemed all over the place at the start of class with some folks still floating in vacation mode, some looking like deer-in-headlights after two days back in the classroom, while others seemed energized and social! It was entertaining to observe. I felt a tangible shift by the end of class, when students seemed grounded and really connected with their bodies! Welcome back yogis.
Class #19 Tuesday, December 10th
Today’s class was a vinyasa class with a focus on chair pose variations through several rounds. My sequence was a bit inspired by the start of ski season, although I didn’t explicitly theme it as such to the class. This was a time of year I used to do a lot of ski prep exercises when I lived in mountain towns in my 20’s. Specifically, I thought back to several years ago discussing with my friend Amber, a pilates instructor, all the different muscle groups and movements that happen in downhill skiing as she was preparing for a workshop. With this in mind I thought of some different ways today to strengthen not only the legs, but also linking torso rotations and stability, and shoulder alignment and injury prevention. Of course, not everyone skis in my yoga class, but it is a frequent winter weekend activity for New Mexicans, with eight ski resorts in our state and several of them family owned and reasonably affordable to working class families. I hope to see the snow soon, but not sure if it will be in my wheelhouse this year!
Class #20 Thursday, December 12th
Today was a unique and different opportunity to connect with the faculty of Manzano Day School! I was invited to teach an introductory yoga class to a Professional Development Group of teachers who have chosen to study Mindfullness for the year. The group is reading Happy Teachers Change the World by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare. It was really interesting as it was almost a completely different group of teachers than have been coming to the regular give-back classes. This was a chance to really dig deep into my ability to explain and demonstrate fundamental postures to a mixed level class. It was also an especially nice chance for me to dig into finding a simple, digestible way to introduce concepts of yoga and it’s connection to “mindfullness.” For all of the buzz these days of both yoga and mindfulness, I found it really caught this group’s attention to discuss some basic yoga origins/philosophy. The asanas were mostly basics, and I spoke to the activation of Prana and firing up our bodies and breath as one connected force. I felt pleased with the concise but meaningful ten minutes of discussion I prepared, followed by thirty minutes of practice. The group seemed surprised by my presence and some weren’t changed from their school clothes, but everyone seemed to enjoy the chance to “try out” yoga in a “non-scary” way. A few pleased comments were made in the vein of “I never thought I could do yoga!” and, “that was actually fun! I feel good” (Awe and wonder)
Class #21 Tuesday , December 17th
Today’s class was the last class before winter break for the teachers. There was a mixed energy of exhaustion nd celebration! My students voiced a lot of concern for how they would continue with yoga over this two-week break. I made some suggestions for a few studios in town that I’ve like and invited students to join me at my favorite weekly class at Sani Yoga in downtown Albuquerque, a non-profit yoga studio that has $5 drop-in. I had a few very interested folks, and some who said they have never tried a studio class before. I believe this particular studio is really accessible and relaxed, no fuss and no “power” yoga vibes. I’m excited for the chance to practice side-by side with anyone that comes, as it continues our community building around yoga in a different way. I really hope my students find ways to incorporate yoga into their lives after my time teaching at the school is over.
My sequence today was quite challenging and incorporated the ideas of harnessing one’s energy, vitality, and fire. I incorporated a lot of warrior flows with variations of chair/twisted, and wide-leg forward folds, and goddess. I also worked through half-hanumanasana, pigeon and lizard. As often the case, I allowed some time on the floor with seated/supine postures before Savasana. Today included head-to-knee, cow-facing, bound-angle, bridge and figure 4. My students continually ask for more and more hip openers....well there ya go, happy holidays! I kind of found that I packed it in today, but it was a ”class to last,” and everyone seemed like they really “left it on the mat,” so to speak.
Class #22 Tuesday, January 7th
Coming back together on the mat today was really exciting to me....I missed teaching! My Tuesday class has certainly become my favorite part of each week, I really look forward to it and find myself thinking of ideas for days in advance, and holding onto Tuesday mornings for my own practice and planning. Today I spoke a bit about Ayurveda and letting go of waste and trash; that stagnation is the enemy of good health. The sequence was a “New Year” flow with twists, compressions and digestive stimulating focus to help shed the excess of the holiday season. We worked a lot with core engagement with a series of boat variations and knee to chest in Downward Dog. We finished with Supported Shoulder Stand and Plough, which I modified for my student with a neck injury and intro’d her to legs up the wall. The class seemed still, l sleepy and ready for bed at the end...understandable considering it’s dark out at 5 PM and this week they’re just getting back into full active days of teaching all the little ones.
Class #23 Tuesday, January 14th
Today’s class was an endurance building sequence. I’m noticing some significant gains in about 6-7 of my students in strength, flow, and focus. It is fun to challenge them with new postures and length of holding. I enjoyed offering standing leg balance poses with the option to keep the foot lifted or touch down between (ie: Pyramid--> Warrior 3-->Knee to Chest—>Extended Hand to Big Toe.) I also found today a good opportunity to practice verbally instructing Crow Pose without full expression of it myself, as my wrists have been flared up the last couple of weeks. After showing the beginning /entry into of the posture, I turned to Ellen, the most advanced student in the class to demonstrate her full Crow and Crane (Which are VERY nice!) Then students played and practiced at their level while I moved around offering observations and pointers. We also Goddess and Skandasana with arm variations. I did have one student whom is quite comfortable in most poses say after class that her knees felt unstable in these side poses; I discussed options with her..
Class #24 Tuesday, January 21st
Class #25 Tuesday, January 28th
Class #26 Tuesday, February 4th
Class #27 Tuesday, February 11th
Class #28 Tuesday, February 18th
Class #29 Tuesday, February 25th
This will be my last Friday morning class, and I was happy to have the four morning students come and close our process together. We would have had a few more sessions but there were several holiday trips planned by my students that were going to disrupt attendance, so it became a natural ending point this week. I felt that I gave some good introduction to yoga and received nice feedback from these students, but it has been a more inconsistent group than I had hoped for on Fridays. Still, getting people exposed to yoga for the very first time and opening them to what their bodies can do was really powerful and I was pleased to see the receptiveness. My goal with this last class was to revisit each of the fundamental poses we had practiced this year and explain/practice the basics of alignment for each, and then with this baseline we practiced a 30 minute beginner flow that they could use at home anytime. I created a hand-out for them to use to remind themselves. They were over the moon with this! Teachers love “lesson plans,” and they seemed happy to have a resource to continue exploring yoga in their own time.
Class #17 Tuesday November 26th
I’m REALLY impressed with the way my Tuesday students are progressing! They are exploring crow and headstand and finding more stability in balancing postures like Half Moon and Warrior III. My friend Ellen whom recently had a baby, is feeling stronger every week, returning to some of her pre-baby advanced practices. She gives the other students a great example of full expressions of Crow, headstand ,etc. and she keeps me on my teaching toes, giving me a challenge to build in multi-level options into the sequence. Offering choices and modifications are getting to be my jam! There are so many different levels in this class, this has been a stellar opportunity in class design.
This was a really joyous class today- much due to the fact that the school will be closed starting tomorrow for a five-day weekend for Thanksgiving! Wonderful time to talk about self-care and slowing down. My sequence was themed around ”Grounding in a Hectic Time.” The week leading to Thanskgiving is like a sprint for teachers. There are report cards and holiday classroom parties and lot’s of squeezing things in ‘till the end. It felt really special that their last hour on campus after all that busyness got to be an hour that they committed to themselves and their practice. We finished with a deep, super-silent candlelight Savasana. Lots of hugs amongst the group after class and a seemingly clear and light energy. Someone shouted “we made it!”
Class #18 Tuesday, December 3rd
For this post-holiday class I focused our movements on twists and compressions to fire up the digestive system. Our silly Thanksgiving holiday weekend often focusing on over-consumption and gluttony for so many!
For my holiday weekend, I road-tripped into the mountains of Taos with my step-son Dakota and husband Josh, where we went for a snowy and sunny hike...the best kind of New Mexico day! (We also ate our fair share of turkey and potatoes:)
The class sequence also a strong focus on back strengthening in Locust variations and core activating postures. The group seemed all over the place at the start of class with some folks still floating in vacation mode, some looking like deer-in-headlights after two days back in the classroom, while others seemed energized and social! It was entertaining to observe. I felt a tangible shift by the end of class, when students seemed grounded and really connected with their bodies! Welcome back yogis.
Class #19 Tuesday, December 10th
Today’s class was a vinyasa class with a focus on chair pose variations through several rounds. My sequence was a bit inspired by the start of ski season, although I didn’t explicitly theme it as such to the class. This was a time of year I used to do a lot of ski prep exercises when I lived in mountain towns in my 20’s. Specifically, I thought back to several years ago discussing with my friend Amber, a pilates instructor, all the different muscle groups and movements that happen in downhill skiing as she was preparing for a workshop. With this in mind I thought of some different ways today to strengthen not only the legs, but also linking torso rotations and stability, and shoulder alignment and injury prevention. Of course, not everyone skis in my yoga class, but it is a frequent winter weekend activity for New Mexicans, with eight ski resorts in our state and several of them family owned and reasonably affordable to working class families. I hope to see the snow soon, but not sure if it will be in my wheelhouse this year!
Class #20 Thursday, December 12th
Today was a unique and different opportunity to connect with the faculty of Manzano Day School! I was invited to teach an introductory yoga class to a Professional Development Group of teachers who have chosen to study Mindfullness for the year. The group is reading Happy Teachers Change the World by Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare. It was really interesting as it was almost a completely different group of teachers than have been coming to the regular give-back classes. This was a chance to really dig deep into my ability to explain and demonstrate fundamental postures to a mixed level class. It was also an especially nice chance for me to dig into finding a simple, digestible way to introduce concepts of yoga and it’s connection to “mindfullness.” For all of the buzz these days of both yoga and mindfulness, I found it really caught this group’s attention to discuss some basic yoga origins/philosophy. The asanas were mostly basics, and I spoke to the activation of Prana and firing up our bodies and breath as one connected force. I felt pleased with the concise but meaningful ten minutes of discussion I prepared, followed by thirty minutes of practice. The group seemed surprised by my presence and some weren’t changed from their school clothes, but everyone seemed to enjoy the chance to “try out” yoga in a “non-scary” way. A few pleased comments were made in the vein of “I never thought I could do yoga!” and, “that was actually fun! I feel good” (Awe and wonder)
Class #21 Tuesday , December 17th
Today’s class was the last class before winter break for the teachers. There was a mixed energy of exhaustion nd celebration! My students voiced a lot of concern for how they would continue with yoga over this two-week break. I made some suggestions for a few studios in town that I’ve like and invited students to join me at my favorite weekly class at Sani Yoga in downtown Albuquerque, a non-profit yoga studio that has $5 drop-in. I had a few very interested folks, and some who said they have never tried a studio class before. I believe this particular studio is really accessible and relaxed, no fuss and no “power” yoga vibes. I’m excited for the chance to practice side-by side with anyone that comes, as it continues our community building around yoga in a different way. I really hope my students find ways to incorporate yoga into their lives after my time teaching at the school is over.
My sequence today was quite challenging and incorporated the ideas of harnessing one’s energy, vitality, and fire. I incorporated a lot of warrior flows with variations of chair/twisted, and wide-leg forward folds, and goddess. I also worked through half-hanumanasana, pigeon and lizard. As often the case, I allowed some time on the floor with seated/supine postures before Savasana. Today included head-to-knee, cow-facing, bound-angle, bridge and figure 4. My students continually ask for more and more hip openers....well there ya go, happy holidays! I kind of found that I packed it in today, but it was a ”class to last,” and everyone seemed like they really “left it on the mat,” so to speak.
Class #22 Tuesday, January 7th
Coming back together on the mat today was really exciting to me....I missed teaching! My Tuesday class has certainly become my favorite part of each week, I really look forward to it and find myself thinking of ideas for days in advance, and holding onto Tuesday mornings for my own practice and planning. Today I spoke a bit about Ayurveda and letting go of waste and trash; that stagnation is the enemy of good health. The sequence was a “New Year” flow with twists, compressions and digestive stimulating focus to help shed the excess of the holiday season. We worked a lot with core engagement with a series of boat variations and knee to chest in Downward Dog. We finished with Supported Shoulder Stand and Plough, which I modified for my student with a neck injury and intro’d her to legs up the wall. The class seemed still, l sleepy and ready for bed at the end...understandable considering it’s dark out at 5 PM and this week they’re just getting back into full active days of teaching all the little ones.
Class #23 Tuesday, January 14th
Today’s class was an endurance building sequence. I’m noticing some significant gains in about 6-7 of my students in strength, flow, and focus. It is fun to challenge them with new postures and length of holding. I enjoyed offering standing leg balance poses with the option to keep the foot lifted or touch down between (ie: Pyramid--> Warrior 3-->Knee to Chest—>Extended Hand to Big Toe.) I also found today a good opportunity to practice verbally instructing Crow Pose without full expression of it myself, as my wrists have been flared up the last couple of weeks. After showing the beginning /entry into of the posture, I turned to Ellen, the most advanced student in the class to demonstrate her full Crow and Crane (Which are VERY nice!) Then students played and practiced at their level while I moved around offering observations and pointers. We also Goddess and Skandasana with arm variations. I did have one student whom is quite comfortable in most poses say after class that her knees felt unstable in these side poses; I discussed options with her..
Class #24 Tuesday, January 21st
Class #25 Tuesday, January 28th
Class #26 Tuesday, February 4th
Class #27 Tuesday, February 11th
Class #28 Tuesday, February 18th
Class #29 Tuesday, February 25th