Went to Ted's 9:30 Hatha Class; first time in his class. He has a very light spirit, a lot of laughter about bodies not being perfect/trying things out to just see how your body feels in the pose. The students in the class all seemed to love his carefree approach. I did laugh a few times too, which was nice. Diane was in class today (she is someone I met the first week I started my training; I get the feeling that she is in every morning, I just happen to be going to a lot of evening classes so our paths haven't crossed).
After class, Aviel and I stayed in the studio so that I could practice teaching. Before we went through the postures we decided to meditate together (much more motivational than meditating alone at home). So we sat in the studio, lights dimmed for 20 minutes. There were a few times where I thought I heard another person breathing in the studio but I think it was just the heating/cooling system. My mind was very stubborn and wanted to have me prioritize a list of tasks. I had to keep putting that desire aside. Aviel had a very gentle timer that went off and did not cause me to have a heart attack, which was nice! He and I talked a little about our experience meditating, I told him about my restless mind and he said his was busy too.
We then took about an hour going through the standing, balancing and seated postures. We skipped Sun A and Sun B because we had done them together that day in Ted's class (and we both feel fairly confident with these sequences). From Padagustasana to Marichyasana. I had trouble hearing his breathing but I took the time to watching his chest/ribs expand and contract and counted to five several times. It was tricky trying to determine if these breaths were his natural pace or if he was breathing slowly to accommodate for my slow direction. I asked him afterwards and the thought that it was a good pace, a little slow but that he prefers working in a slower pace. He said I had a nice cadence and that I was permissive. Aviel has a limited range of motion in some poses and I wanted to be sure I was providing accommodation for his needs, especially in standing/balancing poses. It was helpful for me to observe him and learn from him what he is not capable of doing. He was not frustrated with my questions. I don't know how to be not overly concerned with how my directions impact a practitioner with limited motion abilities. Do I trust that they (newer students) will make modifications/adjustments as necessary without my verbal guidance if I am not aware of their limitation? Do I make an announcement before the class begins to clarify my needs as an instructor ("please communicate with me if you have any concerns or questions?") or do I trust that they will ask for help if they cannot come up with a modification on their own (I will of course list those that I know in an efficient manner, but if I don't know that they can't turn their neck or reach opposite elbows...)?
Daily Yoga Meal: Ate dinner with Amy. We made Annie's mac and cheese and had peas with it. Very starchy but it was a playful meal that harkened back to our childhood. We were kind of rushed in our eating as Amy needed to leave to get to her meditation practice. We did enjoy each other's company and pleasant conversation in between bites. We remained seated and did not have any external distractions (which was an oddity because usually at her apartment music is playing all the time). I would say my serving size was appropriate and that I did not over indulge.
Daily Gratitude: Happy I was able to meet up with Amy tonight; learned that her mom Ann is on her way to New Zealand, how fantastic to be retired and have friends abroad! It was a great evening of learning for me. Amy was willing to be my student today and I led her through 3 Sun As, 3 Sun Bs and then all the standing, balancing and seated postures through Marichyasana. She is working with chronic neck pain so I was sure to check in with her throughout practice (I know this would not be done in a larger class setting but since I met with Aviel earlier today, I learned to be a little more sensitive to restrictions students have; Amy couldn't lift her gaze in any revolved/twisted posture). She said I had a very calming presence and that the pacing was good for her, so that was reassuring. It was very evident working with her where my word choices/descriptions come into play (i.e. Prasarita Padottanasana C, when I told her to come to a T shape with her hand and then clasp her hands together, I forgot to mention "behind her back, below her hips" because she clasped her hands together above her head! This was a good learning experience for me, I laughed a little and asked to start that posture over again). All in all, a very rewarding experience. We shared dinner together afterwards and then she had to head out to a meditation session at Common Grounds Meditation Center. She invited me to come along but I felt pretty zonked at that point and kind of wanted to head home to sleep. It sounds like a great place to explore though and I do enjoy group meditation, so I might join her in the near future.
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