Yoga Journal - Teacher Tells All

This week as I walked into the yoga studio ready to teach my class, I was armed with a new sequence. I remembered my sign-in sheet, pen, and even my tingsa bells. I was so excited to be teaching again after a two-week hiatus that I felt like a kid on the first day of school. I sat nervously as I anticipated the arrival of my students. I couldn't wait to see my girls!

The feelings were not mutual.

In my absence, my students must've forgotten all about my class. I know that teenagers have a shorter attention span, but com'on!!! Not one of them showed up! This was the first time this had happened in probably a year. And I'll be honest, I was a little devastated. I'm still learning not to take it personally when the numbers aren't there to validate me as a teacher, but it's not easy.

Logically, I realize there are so many scenarios that can keep people (particularly teenage people) from yoga class that do not involve suddenly realizing a hatred for the yoga teacher. I will now list OTHER possible excuses in an attempt to try to make myself feel better about life.

1. It's the first week of summer! I think I'd rather hang out with my friends this week instead. I'll be back next week for sure... and I'll probably bring my friends.

2. Now that it's summer, I have to catch up on all my doctor's appointments. My mom forgot I'm supposed to go to yoga and scheduled a dentist appointment for the same time. I'm still mad at her.

3. I was injured water skiing so I decided to give my body time to heal.

4. I usually come with a friend, but my friend had a doctor's appointment during yoga class.

5. I was studying for the SATs.

6. All of my yoga clothes are dirty.

7. I had soccer practice.

8. I decided I'd rather practice yoga with fancy, new Wii Fit. (I'm sure I'll be tired of it by next week and come to class.)

9. We had family visiting from out of town.

10. I took a nap at home instead.

Help me add to the list!

Comments

11. It's the last week of school and I had to read 2 books and do 3 projects plus an essay comparing the books in 5 days. Each of these count for 25%, 30% or 50% of my final mark for the year in their respective classes. I'll probably be back next week...pretty sure I will be. I don't need to study much for the final exams.

Posted by: nancy | June 10, 2008 11:54 AM

Haha :) nice and funny posting Erica :)

Posted by: Laura | June 11, 2008 01:39 PM

I love your sense of humor! I have had similar moments when I visit opened the studio. : ) I also have a group of teenagers in my level II class that forget their first names half of the time. It is a miracle that they even make it to class 50% of the time.

Posted by: Jennifer Moore | June 16, 2008 01:51 AM

My dog ate my yoga mat...

Posted by: unionof | June 27, 2008 01:59 AM

I've summed it up in a poem...

Too Busy to Relax

Too busy to relax they say
Complaints, excuses everyday
They sound so weak, so stressed, so tired
A mundane world in which they’re mired
No time to sit and just be quiet
Their mind’s a rush of thoughts, a riot
No chance they have to hear the sound
Of nature’s wonder all around
Of birds and trees and clouds and air
Too much work, it’s just not fair
This really seems quite sad to me
So much to do, no time to be

Breathe I say and move a bit
Then after that we can just sit
And watch the world at its own pace
There is no rush, it’s not a race
And if it were, what is the goal?
Where are you going mind, body, soul?

Too busy to relax I hear
These words seem like they’re based in fear
Tired, weak and too much stress
How did our lives turn such a mess?
We don’t need to look above
To find a place that’s based in love
Turn instead and look within
Find your self, it is no sin
Forgive, let go, open your heart
It is the only place to start
Think on that and you might find
Throughout your life you have been blind

Breathe I say and move some more
Run, walk, jump, stretch on the floor
Move your body, get up and go
Feel the energy, let it flow
Don’t get caught in negative
Habits that won’t let you live

Too busy to relax? Not true!
This hoax must end, it starts with you
If all you do is just the same
You never will escape this game
Do something new, do something Zen
Begin right now, not ‘if’ or ‘when’
Do one thing different, or two, or five
Change how you live, become alive
Do or do not, there is no try
Step off the cliff and start to fly
Begin with this, you won’t go wrong
Remember to breathe, deep and long.

Posted by: Aaron Hoopes | June 28, 2008 04:04 PM

Oh Erica - how I love your blog! Exactly the same thing happened to me recently (my class was pre=teen) and I lost a class of 6 girls that had been coming quite regularly... I was devasted too!! Especially when I felt I'd bonded with them and they would come and share music and little anecdotes with me every week. About a month ago, when 1 of the students arrived on her own, I asked where her best friend was and she said...

12. "It's too sunny to be indoors and she really likes the boys who hang out by the skate park next door"

We can be hip and "down with the kids" (I'm only in my early twenties!) but we cannot, under any circumstances, turn ourselves into muscly male yoga teachers (which would probably solve the whole problem!)

Posted by: Laura | July 5, 2008 10:24 PM