Wandering Mind

Monday Morning – Two weeks of work left, only 8 days, wow that’s weird. I feel like there is still so much to do and figure out before I go. Almost makes me sick to my stomach. My mom might be coming near the end of the week to help me prep the house to sell and I might be going to New Paltz to look for an apartment this week, too. I’m definitely contacting real estate agents here and there. I think I’m slightly overwhelmed… One day at a time, make a list, check things off as they’re done, and Breathe.

I tried to do a blog Saturday after my primary class but it was lost somewhere between here and there and of course I didn’t have a copy to re-post and I was too tired to rewrite it so I’ll try to remember most of what I said and add a little for yesterday, too.

It simplest terms, It was beautiful. And I have been underestimating my students. I was thoroughly impressed with their practices; I really hope they were, too. I talked a little about my experience in NYC and ask them to change their minds, their way of thinking about what they can and can not do. And they did. They did ALL of the vinyasas, they straightened their legs in Navasana, they added the half/full lotuses where they hadn’t before, and they did chakrasana. Their focus was intense and man, did it get hot in there, I didn’t think 8 people could make that much heat. I think the faster pace of the salutations and the shorter downward dogs really help get/keep the heat up. I was really wanting to practice after class but I know my body still needed to rest… I think my body still needs to rest… I also mimicked Pattabhi’s teaching style more and found it to be extremely helpful. Say the pose, inhales and exhales into the pose and then count. Use the time counting to give assists and personal adjustments to people versus just say all the things everyone is supposed to be thinking of. And I never did a pose. First time for that… and the surprising thing was I felt very comfortable that way. We also did the chanting which was fine but It was new for me and it will take a few times before we all understand how it works to get it to smooth out.

On a side note: Before class someone was telling me that I can’t expect to change much because people/the students are really set in their ways and they want what they’ve been getting. I disagreed with that thought. My theory was that people are trying to do their best but they don’t always know what that is, so my job as a teacher is to take them there. And I think it works.

So I was really interested to see how I could transfer that to the Level I class on Sunday… I went in a little early and did my own primary before class and my body is still really…let’s just say still healing, from how hard I pushed it last week. I’m definitely more flexible than I was. Even with cold, tight hamstrings I can still palm the floor, so I guess that’s good. Wrist and shoulders are still tired, I’m looking forward to them recuperating because they really affect how strong I feel during a practice. So the class – Also went beautifully. It was really a I/II class for the most part (other than one person who was at both classes). We changed Surya B and sped up the pace a little (not as much as Saturday) and didn’t quite build up the heat we had on Saturday but I still think it pushed the students. I tried to keep a similar style but with more talking going in and out of poses and I would go back and forth from talking and counting depending on where the majority of the students were with the poses. It seemed to work well and I think they students were able to do a little more and challenge themselves a little more than before. We got everyone’s toes off the floor in Crow and we were able to get through more than I usually do so we did sarvangasana and sirsasana prep. And since the alignment was so good for most of them we did headstand up against the wall which was a first for many of them. And I think the students left feeling really good about what they had done and rightly so.

I think it works. Expect more – BELIEVE that there is more, and there is.