I taught my 2nd class today in Waterloo Park. I was really nervous for some reason that few people would show up- which turned out to be futile, because 14 people came. (Including Joan Schaner- who after my class let me know that she wants me to teach at her studio- hoorah!!). I think I was able to offer a meaningful experience for students, and got good feedback after class that people felt different/better after the class and had fun. I kept my theme simple, talking about staying centred in the midst of transition. I think this was good, and it connected to where most of my students, who are area also university students, feel this week because it’s the start of a new semester. I shared the theme from my heart by talking about how my personal practice had helped me feel grounded and centred through the week. At the end of the class I invited everyone to take a moment to set an intention to take yoga into their week; for example, by being more mindful about their posture, by posing to take a deep breath in a difficult situation.
My sequencing was ok, but I think if it weren’t for the strong theme and my enthusiasm it wouldn’t have held together on its own so well. I taught some difficult poses like navasana and bakasana. It was my edge to teach these in the park to intermediate/beginners with no props. I think I could have done a better job if I could have given assists and variations using props. I did a demo for bakasana and thought I was clear about the main points, but when people came into the pose they weren’t applying them. So, I need to find more ways to say the same things and repeat it a few times. Or for more visual learners I could have demoed one correct pose and another incorrect pose to accentuate the key points. Over all though, it was a good class and I felt a really positive vibe and response from the group. One thing I really appreciated was that people lingered to chat with each other and ask me questions- it feels really good to be facilitating the building of community- KULA!