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Do You Meditate?

October 23, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

meditation

If you are anything like me then when you practice yoga you focus on the asana -- poses that stretch the body (and often the mind). You know that meditation is an important part of the practice and you might sneak in a minute or two of stillness at the beginning or end of your asana fiesta.

Or maybe you sit and meditate for five, ten, twenty minutes a day.

Or maybe you think you should. And you don't.

At one time or another I have fallen into all of these categories. When I began yoga it was hard for me to sit for ten seconds. I was so used to moving and doing and multi-tasking that I'd completely forgotten how to get still. As I became more involved with my asana practice I gradually started to unravel and could proudly hit the ten second mark without even a flinch. From there my endurance grew so that now, ten years later, I can sit for ten minutes straight and not run screaming from my zafu.

Doesn't sound like much, does it? Well, for me, ten minutes feels like a huge victory. (Even then, I go in and out of my meditation practice more often than I would like to admit.) But I know that every time I meditate I feel like I want (need) to do it more.

Where do you sit on meditation? Or do you sit at all?

Looking to learn more about meditation? Check out our collection of meditation articles.

Why Do You Do Yoga?

October 21, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

yoga

I was recently watching Yoga Journal's latest DVD: Yoga For Strength and Toning with Flow teacher Stephanie Snyder. (Full disclosure: Stephanie is my main teacher so I am thrilled that she just released this brand new DVD.) Strength and toning seems like a great reason to do yoga but it got me thinking: I wonder how many different reasons there are that people practice yoga?

Some super-busy students of mine do yoga to de-stress; others to stay in shape. Some sporty students do yoga to stretch out after their workout.  I do yoga for different reasons on different days but mostly because it makes me feel good: mind, body, and soul. (And sometimes I joke that I do yoga because it makes me a little bit less crazy.)

I know my students do yoga for some many reasons. What are those reasons for you? What brings you to the mat?

Sharing Wisdom through An Offering of Leaves

October 13, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

offeringofleaves2.jpg

Recently I came across An Offering of Leaves by Jivamukti yoga teacher Ruth Lauer-Manenti. This new book is a collection of "'dharma talks' -- stories from her life that accompany her classes and represent the yogic commitments to ahimsa (non-violence), compassion, and service."

Usually when I pick up books based on yoga philosophy, all full of enthusiasm to absorb some yogic wisdom, I get lost after three pages and end up abandoning ship. Thankfully, this book was a very welcome exception.

Ruth writes with such simplicity, humor and authenticity that I was immediately drawn into each story. It was easy to see the connection to the Sanskrit verse with which the story began. By the end I felt like I had delved into the ancient texts of The Yoga Sutras and The Bhagavad Gita in a way I never had before and in a way that made sense to me. I'm hoping I can bring this new-found knowledge into my days and to my students.

What other books have helped you deepen your understanding of yoga philosophy in an easy and accessible way?

Beginner's Mind

October 6, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

corpes pose.jpg

This weekend I had the pleasure of teaching an Intro to Yoga workshop to a shiny, new crop of yogis. Some of them had never done yoga. Others had done yoga a bit but had never gotten the basics. And yet they all had one thing in common: they were super-eager to learn.

It was as if just by signing up for a workshop called "Intro" they had taken on the "Beginner's Mind" and embraced it. And oh what a wonderful thing that was.

In case you're not familiar, we often refer to a "Beginner's Mind" in yoga as that space where you examine everything as if it were new. By opening ourselves up to the possibility that there is always something new to learn (even when you have done the "same" downward facing dog a thousand times) all kinds of things can shift and change and evolve.

I found myself inspired by my beginners. Not only were they discovering yoga with all of its possibilities but they were so open and receptive to everything I (and yoga) had to offer. I found myself wanting to give as much of myself as I possibly could. I wanted to learn more and absorb with the same openness and fearlessness that they were exhibiting.

And so, my beginners, for this I thank you. And I ask you, my readers, where could you benefit from applying your Beginner's Mind?

The Secret to Adjusting

October 1, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

planning

Since I began teaching I've been on a quest to learn the secret to adjusting. Until last weekend, it hadn't gone so well.

I've been down many avenues on this quest: I learned a bit in teacher training ("adjusting basics", which I then promptly forgot in favor of pose names and sequences); I've bought "adjusting" books (its hard to learn hands-on from a sheet of paper); I've attended short "adjusting" trainings (they didn't quite get into what I was seeking); I've assisted other teachers (I was free to give all the adjustments I wanted but I was never quite sure what those should be). None of them measured up to what I was hoping to learn.

And then last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a Thai Yoga Massage workshop led by Jonas Westring, (Anusara Yoga Instructor, Therapeutic Bodyworker, and owner of Shantaya Yoga and Bodywork School).

I have to admit, when I signed up I thought the workshop would be informative but have very little to do with my yoga teaching. It was obvious from the first sequence that I was dead wrong. Turns out I had discovered the secret to all of those fantastic, deep, yummy adjustments that I have been longing to learn.

After just one day with Jonas I left equipped with clear insight into how to adjust the body, be sensitive to what is going on with my students' bodies, and to take care of myself while I'm adjusting. It was an invaluable experience that left me feeling like I had finally found a practice that could deeply change not only the way I adjust but how I interact with my students and their practice. I can't wait to learn more.

To get a taste of some Thai Yoga Massage adjustments check out Saul David Raye's article: Get in Touch.

Your Yoga Teacher's Headshot: Is it Up to Snuff?

September 24, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

As a yogi I try to keep my crankiness to a minimum. But I have to say, nothing puts me on the cranky-train faster than a poorly done yoga teacher headshot.

You know the ones - where your favorite yoga teacher (who is cute as a button and radiates sunshine) looks like a blurred-out, fuzzy mess who quite possibly has just finished an all night bar crawl with her ten closest friends (who are of course whooping it up in the background of the tiny image.)

Or the one where your teacher is twisted up so far into a pretzel that you are not sure where her legs end and her head begins and you just want to look away because, frankly, that looks like it hurts and you just don't want that to happen to you because you quite possibly will get stuck. Forever.

Come on folks. Let's get our headshots together.

Often a yoga teacher's headshot is the first thing that you will see when deciding if you want to take your class. Wouldn't a happy, meditative, in-focus yogi convince you to take a class more than a lot of the pictures out there?

I beg of you - if you are a student and your yoga teacher's headshot is just not up to par, let them know. Take a snapshot yourself if you must. You'll be helping them, I promise.

And if you are a teacher - take a quick look. What is your headshot saying about you?

For articles with some lovely headshots check out our Yoga Mentor Experts.

Where to Teach

September 22, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

planning

Recently a friend and newly anointed yoga teacher asked me for advice on how to pick a yoga studio to teach at. I thought it was a great question from a newbie since I see so many new teachers salivate over ANY class they can call their own, even if it's at 4:30am AND 20 miles outside of town AND they have to pay for cleaning AND the list goes on...

After several years of trial and error I think the best way to ensure success is to make sure you consider all aspects of any teaching opportunity:

Do you like the studio & its students? A studio you teach at should be a place you feel at home in and you would want to practice there yourself. Every studio has a very different personality so some will fit and some just won't.

Do you like the owner? The owner/management has so much influence on a studio and your experience in it. Make sure your personalities mesh before committing to a class

Do people like working there? Talk to other teachers and get their experience.

Are you going to get a time slot that works well? While it can be good experience when you're starting out to get any slot (especially at a studio you really want to teach at), it can also be a real bummer to show up and have just a few students (or none at all some days). Figure out what attendance that slot currently gets and what you are willing to live with.

What don't you know yet? Do you get paid per student or a flat-fee? Is there a minimum you will be paid or if you show up and no-one else does do you go home empty-handed? Do they take anything out of your pay per month (like insurance or a cleaning fee)? Are you required to have liability insurance on your own? How often are you paid? Do they have front desk people working or do you have to sign people in? How early are you expected to be there for your class? Are you responsible for getting your own subs? Is there a sub list or can you get anyone to sub? What is the process? Are there any other things you will be expected to do?

For those more seasoned teachers out there—what else do you consider before committing to a new studio or new class?

Need ideas on how to get your chosen studio to notice you? Learn how to catch a studio's attention.

To Plan or Not to Plan

September 18, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

planning

That is the questions I ask myself each week as I start to think about my classes. Some weeks the answer is a clear "yes" and I will plan a class around a pose, a sequence, a story, or even a feeling. And some weeks it feels better to just, well, go with the flow.

Yet, I still wonder what the right balance is between planning and spontaneity. As a student or a teacher. which approach do you prefer? Or do you even notice a difference from your blissful place on the mat?

To read more on this topic, go to Yoga Journal's article, "What's Your Plan?"

Let Sleeping Yogis Lie?

September 15, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

corpes pose.jpg

I've been noticing lately that a lot of my yogis are falling asleep in Savasana. Even snoring sometimes. Whereas in most other "classrooms" I'd be slightly offended if my students fell asleep on me, I am choosing to take this as a compliment.

But it's got me thinking: is sending your students into blissful slumber a desired effect of savasana? Have I helped them to get a snippet of deserved rest that they most clearly need? Or have I pushed them over the edge from mindfulness to unconsciousness?

It reminds me of a friend asking a similar question in our teacher training program: "What do I do if a student falls asleep?" Our teacher Stephanie Snyder had a response that I loved: "God bless them—they're tired! Let them sleep."

And so let them sleep I do. Hopefully my students will thank me for it... when they wake up that is.

I am a Yoga Teacher

September 10, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

Four years ago I graduated from yoga teacher training and was declared, officially, a "yoga teacher".

I have to admit that declaration scared me to death. Did I know enough to teach? Had I absorbed enough alignment, anatomy, physiology, philosophy, sequencing and Sanskrit to really teach others? What I be a fabulous success or a total flop the first time I stood in front of a group of brand new, paying (!) students? Yup, I was scared. But as all of us "teachers" do, I went out and I taught. Because I knew deep down that I love yoga and I had to share this joy with others.

Now, four years later, I have noticed a shift. I feel confident in telling others that I am a yoga teacher. I no longer shake (yes, literally shake) when I stand in front of a group of students. I am more able to pour my heart and soul and love of yoga into my teachings. But some days, those questions still crop up. And, not surprisingly, a whole new crop of questions has emerged, big and small. What voice do I want to express in my yoga teachings? Do I use music or not? Should I adjust alot or a little?

I am very excited to be writing for Yoga Journal's
Teacher Tells All blog so that I can explore these questions and more with all of you.

I will be so grateful if you will post any questions, comments, advice, or words of encouragement below. Let's form a teaching community and get our questions answered so that we can go out and shout from the rooftops:

I am a Yoga Teacher.

To follow me on my journey please keep reading.

Meet Hannah

September 9, 2009

by Hannah O'Reilly

hannah-oreilly.jpgHannah O'Reilly is Yoga Journal's Online Production Manager by day and a San Francisco Flow Yoga Teacher by night (and sometimes early morning). She simply loves yoga and wants to share it with as many people—in as many ways—as she can. She is thrilled to be contributing to Yoga Journal's Teacher Tells All blog as a new way for her to talk about and form community around yoga.

As a yoga teacher, Hannah is known for her joyful spirit, flowing movement, focus on the breath, and occasionally, some kick-your-butt ab work. Hannah pulls yogic inspiration from far and wide including yoga teachers Stephanie Snyder and Jason Crandell, San Francisco city life and (more often than you might care to know) reality tv. She encourages lightheartedness on and off the mat and finds laughter every day playing with her pup Zeke. For more information about Hannah please visit her website or become a fan of Hannah Yoga on Facebook.

Learning When to Shut Up

December 19, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

Have you ever noticed that yoga teachers really LOVE it when students ask them questions they know an answer for? I haven't quite figured out if we just get questions we don't have answers for so often that we get a little too excited when we actually have a response that might be useful to someone or if it's just an ego thing, but I've been in way too many classes where teachers have just gone on and on (and on) answering one student's question while everyone else sat silently, staring at their toes.

"Oh! You have SI issues! Allow me to tell you (and everyone else waiting for class to begin) EVERYTHING i know about the SI Joint! ... You see, I was reading my anatomy book last week when my SI joint flared up and I found out that sometimes it has to do with a tight psoas. Then I talked to my physical therapist about it .... Let's have you march in place for a minute, so I can show you (and, again, everyone else in the room) what I know."

At this point, all of the other students are waiting politely and genuinely trying to get something out of the demonstration (even though it has nothing to do with them at all), and the poor student who asked the question wants to crawl under a rock. I know this because I ask a lot of questions.

Sometimes the lessons you learn from other teachers aren't particularly positive. Sometimes you learn what NOT to do. As a teacher, I intend to answer only the question that was asked of me, and in a succinct fashion. There is such a thing as too much information.

What things have you learned NOT to do from your teachers?

P.S. Here's an article from Yoga Journal's My Yoga Mentor email newsletter about incorporating silence into your teaching. Silence as a Teaching Tool (http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2433)

When to Teach a Pose You Hate

October 27, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

There are many poses I avoid teaching to my class because the poses are too advanced for the students. And then there are those poses that I omit because, well, I hate them. These are the poses that when they come around in classes that I'm a student, seem like the perfect opportunity to take a break to adjust my pony tail or my yoga pants because that will cut the pose short by at least a breath or two. Then, when I actually make it into the pose, I might be so uncomfortable and frustrated by it I'll mumble profanities under my breath (or at least in my head).

It's not that I intentionally leave out Revolved Triangle and Revolved Half Moon Pose from my class sequences. It's just that when I'm teaching, my mind tends to go to poses that I think would feel good in the moment, and I never think those poses feel good.

I think there are valid reasons for not teaching poses that are like torture. First of all, the last thing I want to do is pass on my disdain for a pose to a group of students who haven't had enough experience with it to form an opinion. And since I don't practice those poses much myself, I may not be able to guide others to find the essence of the pose.

However, if I always omit poses I don't like, my students might never get to experience them—and the joys and frustrations that come with them. I could be depriving them of a pose they desperately need!

So I'm wondering, how do you know when you should teach a pose you hate and when to skip it?

10 Reasons to Do Yoga

October 17, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

This is an email I wrote to send to my students as an attempt to inspire them to come to my next yoga class. I thought I'd share it with you. DISCLAIMER: It's meant to be fun and playful, not totally serious.

10 Reasons to Do Yoga

1. You noticed your shoulders creeping up toward your ears . . . again. Yoga helps manage physical, mental, and emotional signs of stress.

2. Your yoga mat really brings out the color in your eyes. ;)

3. If someone gives you one more thing to do you feel like your head might explode. Yoga lets you slow down, take deep breaths, and encourages you to do one thing at a time.

4. You're worried about the state of the world. You can make an impact simply by setting an intention, taking care of yourself, and emitting a positive energy into the universe.

5. If you ever want to touch your foot to the top of your head, you better start practicing now.

6. You ate pizza and popcorn for dinner last night. The increased awareness yoga class brings will spill over into other areas of your life—just like the soda you spilled onto your keyboard while you were checking your email.

7. A yoga studio is the perfect place to pick up girls. (If picking up girls isn't your thing, it's also a really great opportunity to make new friends.)

8. Two words: Yoga Butt. You can be of "those people" who look fabulous spandex. And even if you're not, a regular yoga practice will bring out all of your most beautiful features—inside and out.

9. It will make you more popular. Trust me. People will like being around you more when you're calm, balanced, serene, and uplifted from your postyoga buzz.

10. A Monday yoga class will set the tone for a great week! It takes just an hour to align your body, mind, breath, and spirit.

Downward Dog Diva?

August 19, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

N05_79.jpgOnce upon a time, in a far away land, a college student sat down at her local Barnes and Noble to flip through Yoga Journal for the first time. She wouldn't dare actually buy the publication, much less anything advertised within it's pages because, frankly, yoga classes were expensive enough. The articles were about massage, organic food, and exotic yoga vacations. Puzzled, the student (OK, it was me) scowled, closed the magazine, and placed it back on the shelf thinking, "Who has the time, money, and dedication to live that kind of lifestyle?"

Fast forward a few years, and today I sit in my Yoga Journal cubical. I do yoga during my lunch break (or when I get home) daily. I get a chair massage once a month. I avoid buying lunch at the salad bar down the street because their kale is not organic. I just had three yoga books delivered to my desk (literally the office manager just handed me the box). I plan to read them during my exotic, tropical vacation in a couple of weeks. (The trip is a special occasion, but you get my point.) I regularly discuss my new Sacroiliac Joint injury or my tired, achy muscles with my yoga friends. They always have new ailments, too.

The argument for expensive yoga classes, monthly massages, Ayurvedic consultations, retreats, conferences, organic food, and trendy yoga clothes is a good one. Health should to be a top priority, and the mindfulness encouraged during a yoga class helps me get there. A heightened awareness of the foods I put into our bodies and my physical weak points should help me live a longer, more fulfilled life, right? And if I don't take care of myself first, how am ever going to have the energy to take care of anybody else and make the world a better place?

The alternate view: I'm spoiled. Rotten. It's all in the name of a healthy, mindful, conscious lifestyle. And it all started with yoga.

Which view is right? When does living a conscious, healthy lifestyle cross the line and turn into a selfish, pampered, princess lifestyle? Do yoga students have a heightened awareness of their intuition and physical pain or are we just whinier?

Full-Time Sub?

August 14, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

tea1673.jpgAfter my first experience as a yoga sub, I couldn't wait for my next attempt. If there's one thing I love more than a perfectly aligned pose, it's a second opportunity to redeem myself after I've failed miserably. Luckily, this week the asanas AND the stars aligned for the class I was subbing. It was one of the most fun teaching experiences I'd ever had. Ever!

Unlike last week, I knew when class was scheduled to end, so I planned accordingly. Some of the students who were there to witness my not-so-great class the week before actually came back for more (so it must not have been THAT bad). As an added bonus, one of the students had brought his son with him (so a potential new client for my teen class!) Yay!

I didn't even freak out when one of the students approached me before class to tell me she was in early stages of a pregnancy. (Let me reiterate that one of the reasons I love teaching kids is that I don't really have to worry so much about such things, so it really is quite amazing that I kept my cool.) I just told her what I knew and made sure she knew to modify anything that didn't feel quite right. It ended up being completely fine and she could still do most of the class normally.

In fact, I left the class thinking about how nice it might be to be a full-time sub. Substitutes get all the great reward of teaching—the experience, the paycheck, the warm fuzzy feeling you get from knowing you're helping people. Plus, you get practice modifying for all kinds of injuries and medical conditions, and meet so many more amazing people because you're teaching in varied time slots.

I think the best reason to sub, however , may be that if you put all your energy into doing a great job teaching, you don't have to do all the constant marketing it takes to build your own student base from scratch—something that I loathe. Marketing is the regular teacher's job. As a sub, you just have to show up, do your thing, and bask in the glory! It's brilliant! Anybody need a sub?

Have any of you tested by "full-time sub" theory?

Adventures in Substituting

August 7, 2008

by Erica Rodefer


I've never subbed for another teacher before. It's not that I haven't had the opportunity. I was just too scared. Why? All of the students would be total strangers to me, which means I don't know the level of their practice or their injuries. If my teaching style is different from the teacher I'm subbing for, I run the risk of surprising or upsetting the regulars (and I know they'll tell on me when their teacher returns). And let me count the ways adult classes are different from my teen classes. Many of these, I realize, are preconceived notions and generalizations.

1. Adults pay for their classes themselves, not their parents. So they have something invested other than time, and probably even more upset if you don't give them what they think they've paid for.
2. Grown-ups are more likely to be averse to change. Teenagers kind of go with the flow.
3. Adults are stiffer, and thus more fragile, than kids.
4. They have way more injuries and health complications. (The possibility that my teenagers will be pregnant or recovering from a surgery is very slim.)
5. Adults have had the opportunity to do a lot more yoga (and some of them probably know more about it than I do). They will know, and judge me, when I mess up.
6. Adult classes are an hour and a half, my teen classes are an hour. (More on this later.)

So for a very long time, when the opportunity to sub came up. I just wasn't interested. But all of that changed a couple of weeks ago when I got an email from another teacher at my studio who needed a sub for her Saturday morning class. Despite my reservations, I thought a Saturday morning class would be a blast so I agreed, thinking "What's the worst that could happen?"

Well, let me tell you.

I wasn't prepared. I didn't have change. (At my studio we act as the cashier as well as the teacher.) I was nervous. My sequence was all wrong—too many Sun Salutes and energizing poses. I said right when I meant left. All of this is par for the course when you sub a class because you don't know what/who to expect. The biggest mistake of all. I looked up at the clock, and thinking I had ten minutes left in class set them up for a restorative pose. When the students settled into the Supported Child's Pose, I realized that the class wasn't supposed to be over for another half an hour. Oops!

I totally PANICKED! Once you get students into a restorative pose, you can't take them out and have them do active poses again. And even though restorative poses are great, it's not really what you want the focus of a class to be at 10:30 in the morning! But I already had them there, so we did two restorative poses for ten minutes each, then had a long Savasana (Final Corpse Pose).

However, the students' reactions to my mistakes were another surprise. (Trust me, I did not hide them well.) They were anything but judgmental and disappointed. All I saw on their faces was empathy, and maybe just a hint of pity. When they gathered up their belongings to leave the studio, they expressed gratitude for the time to rest. Phew! So even though I messed up (big time), I consider my first experience as a sub a success.

Have you ever had a subbing experience go terribly wrong? What makes a great sub stand out from a not-so-great sub?

Oh, Boy!

July 8, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

I had low expectations for my class yesterday. Last week, not one student showed up. It's been so slow this summer I had been considering taking a hiatus while I re-grouped and put my energy into a marketing campaign for the fall. But, I was sitting in the empty studio, thinking "Why am I even here? No one is coming . . ." a new student waltzed through the doors.

This was not the kind of student I've come to expect . . . It was a BOY student! That's right, the first boy ever to walk through those doors and into my class. His story: he just graduated from high school, and decided to do yoga this summer to complement his baseball training.

This brought a whole new element to the class. My classes usually focus on strength building and relaxing—which I hope will bring balance to my students' naturally bendy bodies. But this is a different body type, and a new and exciting challenge.

What might have been even more gratifying that watching my athlete-student sweat as he learned the art of Chaturanga Dandasana, was watching the student next to him—the first student I ever taught. When she came to my first class more than a year ago she really struggled with the pose. Even with her knees on the floor her back bowed and her arms shook. It was amazing watching her do the full pose with ease as a muscular baseball player struggled.

And just like that my faith in the teaching and learning processes—and in myself—was restored. I can't wait for next week!

If You Build It, They Will Come

June 30, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

I don't like to market my class. I could tell you it's because I think commercialism is killing the soul of yoga, but that would be a lie. The truth is, I just don't have it in me. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that after working 40+ hours a week doing my regular day job I am tired. And there hasn't been a large enough return on my past efforts at making Myspace accounts, distributing flyers, and posting ads on Criagslist to justify doing it. So about six months ago, I just stopped trying. Amazingly, some folks found my class anyway.

I thought I had found the key to prosperity as a yoga teacher. The bonus, I thought, is that I didn't have to actually put forth any effort. My marketing plan was to just show up with good intentions and let the students find me. Unfortunately, that's not working so well for me during the summer months.

I realized the absurdity of my "marketing plan" last week when I led a special workshop for a group of girls from a local summer camp. (BTW, this was SO MUCH fun!) This was the biggest class I'd ever taught—there were probably 17 people total, all new students for me. When they were leaving, the camp counselor who coordinated the workshop asked if I had business cards I could give to her so she could distribute them to the campers. I didn't. On my way home, I realized I had also forgotten to announce when my normal class was! It's one thing not to go out of your way to promote yourself, but it's completely ridiculous not to when the perfect opportunity arises.

Sweet Disappointment

June 16, 2008

by Erica Rodefer

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I had the opportunity to teach my first ever workshop. I was so excited because it sounded like such a great chance to reach out to new students and for my regular students to go a little deeper than they get to in our 1-hour classes. It seemed like the perfect time to have a workshop. Class attendance was up. Summer break was about to begin. The students who were coming were excited and motivated, and many of them had blossomed—from a basic, beginning practice to a more sophisticated practice. It's sure to be a success story, I thought.

Ironically, as soon as the workshop was added to the schedule, my class attendance dropped dramatically. As it turns out when students get a break for summer, they also take a break from yoga. To add to that, several of my regular students will be studying abroad in the next few months. The workshop was scheduled for Saturday, and as of now, it looks like we'll have to cancel it because no one has signed up. So I'm down, but not out.

Just as my dreams of facilitating an amazing summer workshop were fading fast, another opportunity came my way. Next week, I'll be exposing group of about 15 summer campers to the wonderful practice of yoga for the first time. (With any luck, a few of them will fall in love with yoga and start coming to my class, too!)

Isn't it funny how things work out?

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