Spring & Yoga

At my afternoon class today, I was so excited because the first student to show up was one I hadn't seen all winter. He says he would get bored if he did yoga all year, although this is only his first year as a yogi. He was snowboarding all winter. We talked about how classes shrink in spring and especially summer--I know people like to do other things, but don't they like to feel the fantabulousest ever (from yoga?) Everyone isn't as crazy about yoga as I am, but this is my first summer teaching and I will be sad to see the classes dwindle--but hey--back in the day I played hookie from yoga to frolic in the sun, too! When it comes to sun in Seattle, GET IT WHILE YOU CAN.

Case in point: It was 60 degrees and sunny today and only had three students in class. I like the informal atmosphere in a small class when they're students I know well. For example, one of my students laughed at one of my tongue-tyings. When I get tangled up and can't tango on for a second, sometimes I'm afraid the students are silently judging me. I can't imagine why because I have nothing but compassion and slack to cut for my teachers. I hope everyone mustered their compassion for this little verbal train wreck: In a couple of the backbends I sometimes say: "Lift your chest, like someone is pulling up a string at your breastbone." Well, I think I'll have to eliminate that. I guess you should never say breast in your cues, because then you'll end up saying: "Lift your chest, like someone is pulling a breast..." I completely lost my cool, deer in the headlights, and then said very emphatically "STRING!"