The holiday season is in full swing, and instead of my usual holiday ritual of running around like a chicken with its head cut off I'm pretty much done with my shopping obligations already. I made the decision almost six months ago that this year I would make gifts for my family members.

With all this talk about gifts, charities, and generosity, I've been contemplating giving my time—and yoga teaching abilities—to people who could really use it this holiday season. As nice as it sounds, I have a few reservations.

I question if yoga really the best thing to donate. I'm interested in volunteering to teach at a group home, a senior center, or an after-school program, but is this really the best way to help? Yoga helps me cope with life, but the people in these programs might get more use out of a sack of groceries.

Then, a while back I read an article that explores why various yoga teachers have decided not to teach for free. Yoga is an exchange that has value, meaning, and worth. If you give it away for free, some people may realize it's value and take it for granted. So maybe it would be better to have a yoga class at a studio (with students who practice yoga already) and donate the proceeds to charity?

Once I wade through all of my thoughts about the most appropriate way for me to give, I will have to start my search of organizations who need (and merit) help. Considering the ginormous number of non-profits there are out there, the holiday season might be over by the time I'm through. Is it even worth it?

Posted by Erica Rodefer at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I am a nice person usually. And I want my teaching persona to be nice—warm, inviting, uplifting. (I'd like my normal, everyday persona to be like that, too, but that's a loftier goal.)

Here's my problem. Nice, warm, inviting, and uplifting people don't generally tell someone they need to change the way they're doing something. Naturally, I'm inclined to let everything go in my class. "It's hard for you to hold Plank Pose for five breaths? That's OK, come down to your knees for a while. You don't like this pose? Try this instead. Your feet are cold? Well, I don't recommend it, but if you really want to wear your socks I won't make you take them off."

I know I have to draw the line somewhere in order to keep my students safe and to foster their growth as yogis. I want to empower my students to listen to their bodies and do what's appropriate for them, but I know if I'm not firm about certain things it will be like an invitation for them to fall into old patterns (samskaras) and remain stagnant. I just hate being a mean teacher.

How do I inspire my students to strive to do more and go deeper without being a crotchety, old teacher that sucks all of the joyful spontaneity out of the practice?

Posted by Erica Rodefer at 07:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

I apologize in advance for the overt sappiness you're about to read. I simply can't hold it in... Recently, I have been on the verge of bursting with gratitude for the yoga community.

Let me very clear, when I say "yoga community" I'm not talking about the the wonderful group of yogis from all over the making the world a better place through their consciousness and their worthy causes. (Of course, I'm awed and amazed by that, too.) I'm talking about my yoga community. The network of people that listen to me, support me, and help me when I'm feeling down or upset. These are the people who are the first to notice when I'm feeling down, and the first to congratulate me when something amazing happens.

I know that many of the people who read this might think, "Yeah, yeah. We all have friends who are important to us." But this is different than any "non-yoga" friendship I've ever had. Don't get me wrong. I have amazing friends from all different phases of my life. But things are different with my yoga friends. Whether it's my teachers, people I met in my teacher training, or just someone I've been to class with for a while, (and once or twice with people I've only spoken to by phone or email) I can tell that my yoga pals "get it." There's an unspoken connection that is both mysterious and awesome.

I'm still trying to put my finger on what it is that connections us. A deeper understanding of body/mind connection? An intuition that we hone from years of intuiting how to move our bodies to get into deeper, more satisfying poses—and ultimately more satisfying relationships? Whatever it is, just being a part of it makes my heart swell.

Posted by Erica Rodefer at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I didn't feel like teaching yesterday—I just wasn't in the mood.

In fact, I didn't feel like doing much of anything. The time change happened over the weekend. It started getting dark way too early. I just felt, for lack of a better description, blah. (It was the kind of blah that makes your whole body feel sluggish and heavy—like the simple act of standing up takes more effort than you can bear.) But, as my mother often reminds me, sometimes we all have to do things we don't want to do. So I pushed myself out the door and went anyway. Blah.

As my students trickled in one by one with their shining smiles, my mood went from blah to so-so. Despite my foul mood, the class went surprisingly well. In fact, I only mixed up right and left a couple of times (which might be a personal record.) But more importantly, I think I am beginning to get a better feel for how much—or how little—my students need in a class. My mood went from so-so to elated when I announced that we were going to learn to hang upside down from the yoga swings and my students faces lit up with excitement.

I am proud of myself because I am able to relax and be myself in front of my class—even when I don't feel like it. More importantly, I'm learning to slow it down, offer fewer poses with longer holds, and longer restoratives and Savasana. (Which worked out beautifully, since the sun went down just as it was time to tuck my students into a nice, long one.)

Posted by Erica Rodefer at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)