Friday, February 19, 2010

Prelude to Class 3

I'm preparing to teach my third ever yoga class tomorrow! This time we will actually move, unlike my first classes where we held poses for 5 minutes each and I could sneak a glance at my notes easily. I will be subbing for Winifred's "Yoga for Recovery" class, which attracts a wide range of students--many beginners, some brand new. She has given me an amazing opportunity.

In preparation I just emailed my sequence to my brain trust and read about everything from foot anatomy to Patanjali to Tiger Woods' apparent return to Buddhism (I'm skeptical). At one point I had to let go and decided I probably know enough by now to not have to 'cram' for tomorrow as if it's some sort of final exam. I'm trying to land on a sequence that's relaxed but interesting. Soft, gooey, flowy, juicy. Appropriate for nighttime, too. Melting, not energizing. Ooh--writing that reminds me I don't have any forward folds! Something else to try to squeeze into the mix! Uh-oh.

I'm really hoping that the class will simply feel good. That's all I ask. For people to be happy in their own bodies. To feel a little more connected. To feel like everything is okay, even for just 90 minutes. I'm not going to push people to the limit; instead i'll just try to nurture a safe space. That's the feel Winifred creates. I'll let you know how it goes...

2 comments:

FrenchToast said...

nuturing a safe space, that's all any yoga class should be. people generally know their own limits, and you can push them all you want, but the most important thang is to create a space that feels safe to even begin to TALK about limits. DIG IT! go loweballer.

Winifred said...

Ashley! You're so lovely! You create beautiful space just walking in the room. Thank you for covering this class while I was in Texas.