calm down... chita vritti :)

Yoga practices are unique in so many ways.

The biggest challenge while instructing a class is producing individual peace and enjoyment. As an instructor, I work hard to feel the physical and emotional energy in the class. If midway through a powerful practice I sense students weakening or loosing energy, I change the downward spiral by turning the music or changing the asana structure. I even let the students know when I sensing their lack of energy. Keeping an open communication forum helps students to calm their mind fluctuations. At times I remind them to just keep up with their own physical abilities but it is not always an easy task when we come from such competitive environments. University students are used to competing for grades and it is hard to remove the energy while on campus.

Quite frequently my mind cannot fully comprehend how the class is enjoying the practice due to students' signs of discomfort or distracting actions. When I notice a couple of students not enjoying their practice or perhaps, assume that students are not enjoying the practice, I begin to panic. Remembering what leg we are using or the next asana in the flow is often lost forever. The pressure of presenting to a class for 60-90 minutes can seem like forever when you get caught up in an uncomfortable moment. I guess yoga teachers judge sometimes!? Fortunately, not all my yoga class that I instruct are consumed by my mental fluctuations but in some cases I find myself portraying the uncomfortable student in a practice that I am attending.

As a student I should try hard to accept what is presented. Finding a balance in each class does not always happen but slowly I am working to train myself to accept that good that comes from each practice. Often I find myself attending class and hoping for a specific instructor. Sometimes that instructor is ill or had to switch to help balance the schedule. The bottom line is that most teachers do not try hard to miss classes and they get sick sometimes too. Yoga instructors are not in a constant meditative state and that is okay.

This post is dedicated to all those practitioners who are having a hard time relaxing during instruction and practice. Relax because I believe that yoga has a greater good than we may think sometimes. ~ namaste ~