Something's gotta give....

I certainly still consider myself a new teacher - I have been teaching for about  year and a half, though, plenty of class-hours, and last night was the first night I had a student leave in the middle of class.

I consider myself lucky - hearing stories from Kathy and others about the times they have had students walk out, either because of something personal going on with them, or maybe because their favorite teacher wasn't in that day - but I didn't realize how it would make me feel!

It wasn't what you might think - sure I was hurt that this student was not enjoying my class - but the hardest part was why she left. I think she was crying, and I'm pretty sure from pain.

As a teacher, I feel the responsibility to make sure everyone in my class feels safe and comfortable, in asking students to try asanas, I know I am asking some people to try things that might otherwise put them in an awkward position (ha ha.)

I could not take care of her in the way I wanted to. I do not want yoga to hurt, I want yoga to heal, and I felt ashamed that my yoga was not healing for this woman last night.

She had come up to me before the class and told me she had recent injuries, low back pain and had pretty recently had shoulder surgery. She had asked me if this was suited for beginners, and being an Intro to Ashtanga class, I said yes, though I did give her the disclaimer that  it could be a very vigorous practice, and even spent time with her checking out down dog and plank before we began the class.

As soon as we did our second sun salutation, I saw that upward facing dog was killing her. Her low back was extremely tight and I could tell it was painful to even try the small back bend. I tried to give her a modification, but it may have been too late.  I saw that in the next down dog she was sniffling, and I hoped it was just a cold. I showed the class child's pose, then we sat up to practice ujjayi.

She could not sit comfortably, and she was fighting back tears. My heart went out to her, and I tried an alternative pose. It was over, and I had to come back to the other students.

She sat and watched for a moment, and then got her things and left the room.  No one else felt as awkward as I did, and the other students seemed to have a great class, and enjoy it.  I had just felt like I had failed this student, and that she may have been further deterred from practicing yoga.

I realize that there is another side to the experience, I just wanted to share my thoughts and insecurities with you all! I would love to hear about your teaching experiences, especially teaching people with injuries.

I just hope I did not discourage her, and that she finds the perfect yoga to help her work through her injuries.

OM.

Adena

Insights from the holidays and a new year

Each Holiday season we overindulge, with material goods , food, drinking and celebrations. Then once the new year hits we are so burnt out from the over indulgence we set resolutions to cut back, eat better, exercise, make better choices etc ….

Year after year the cycle repeats. Not that there is anything wrong with it or we don’t have great times and then make positive improvements in our life. Although if you take a moment to reflect about this cycle it’s kind of funny. In the constant search for happiness, we hope to find it in the activities of the Holidays, food, gifts, celebrations. When the holiday season is over although we thoroughly enjoyed it as is was happening that sense of happiness does not sustain. Life goes back to normal and with the coming of the new year we set intentions for personal improvements in search of true unconditional happiness.

This cycle is a source of Insight for what may bring unconditional happiness. We often fool our selves in thinking that happiness will come from material goods or experiences but if you reflect on your own experience how well does that really work out ? True happiness comes from within, through the thoughts and intentions you create for your life. Nothing out there will bring it to you, but you already have everything you need to create it with in yourself.

Metta,

Danny

Numerical example of effortless effort.

Here is a little insight i had about finding the right amount of effort in your yoga or meditation practice. To be a little more clear its really all about releasing any conceptual basis for what effort is all together and finding that place in the middle.

Now when it comes to yoga and meditation you often come up against a paradox that does not appear logically possible. Although if you let go of what you think you may know and allow your self to just experience you will understand the meaning of the paradox. A frequent teaching is; “find the place in the middle”, “not too tight, not too loose”, “effortless effort”, “Stay active but remain relaxed”, “go to your edge but no farther.” It comes in many different sayings but what do they mean ?

Lets consider the concept of effort. Since everything is relative and a concept only really makes sense in relationship to something, (Yin and Yang , Positive and Negative) the concept of effort has no meaning unless there is something to compare it to. Thus we have effort and non effort, in order to intellectualize this concept we must separate it into opposites. The amount of effort or non effort you may be experiencing is a subjective amount. No one else but you really knows how much you may be or may not be exercising effort. We draw arbitrary lines for ourselves for what we consider too much effort , not enough effort or just enough effort. The idea is not to create the concept for some arbitrary point of “just enough effort” but it is too let go of any concept of effort what so ever, with out grasping and with out aversion.

Imagine a number line -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5. Lets say this is our effort scale. The positive numbers are effort and the negative numbers are non effort. At any point you may be able to rate your self on this arbitrary scale, telling your self how much effort or non effort you are exerting. When you continue to hold on to this dualistic concept, on one side effort on the other side non effort, you are in a constant battle either grasping on to where you think you should be or avoiding where you think you should not be. How do you find the place in the middle ? What is in the middle ? That’s right “Zero”. What does zero mean here ? It is nothing at all or does it have some kind of quality. In math zero is not simply nothingness it has attributes and its own nature. In meditation or yoga zero pertains to the concept of emptiness, a concept not having an intrinsic value with out a relative nature(Non-dual realization).

So in order to find “Zero”, the place in the middle, effortless effort, you must let go of dualistic concepts such as effort or non effort. Experience your current state fully allowing your self to be as you are without intentionally holding back or pushing. It is this thought, that we need to be at a place other than where we already are, that places us on the relative scale. When you can dissolve the concept of effort all together with out falling into the positive or negative range you will experience the solution to this paradox.

Metta,

Danny

Mind and Life - Understanding Contemplative Practices: Yoga and Jain

Mind and Life is an organization with a mission to bring together Western Science with Eastern Contemplative Science. They have been integrating Buddhist practice and Neuroscience for many years. The latest conference was the first one bringing in the idea of Hinduism , Jainism, Yoga and Vedanta.

If you have the time it would be worth your while to watch all of these sessions that are posted for free. I found this one below particularly interesting talking specifically about yoga meditation practice , the parallels and differences to Buddhism and what scientists in India are learning about the physiological affects of yoga practice.

Enjoy !


http://www.mindandlife.org/dialogues/past-conferences/ml22/mind-and-life-xxii-session-4/

gingerbread

winter from the studio window

A Moment of Silence

Today at teacher training we were silent. The practice sounded like this:

Sweet Silence
Brave
Impermanence
Breath
Surrender
Forgiveness
Rhythmic Focus
Gratitude
Love
& Lightness.

Namaste. Shanti. Shanti. Shanti.

Fish

This Saturday, December 11, we will be silent.

Try to be quiet from the time you go to sleep Friday night.

If you have young children or animals that need your voice

try to be silent from the time you get in your car to come to the studio.

This means no talking, no singing, no radio, no tunes.

If all of that is too much,

then be quiet once you arrive.

On December 18th we will practice Ashtanga in the am.

Scott will be coming in for Thai Massage in the afternoon.

Practice will start at 10:15.  Thai Massage will start at 1:00.

You are welcome to bring your own partner for Thai massage,

as long as they are willing to give back to you.

Happy Snow Storms,

xoxo

kathy

Labyrinth (Nashua, NH)

If you live near Nashua, NH (or if you are ever in the area) check out this Labyrinth!

http://www.nashualabyrinth.org/