MAKING THE FAMILIAR NEW AGAIN

I'm doing a lot of reading about how we can create our own more peaceful and accepting reality by changing our thoughts and that our brains can continue to adapt, adjust, grow, and improve if we challenge them with new thoughts, new experiences, new ideas.

So, when I walked into class today expecting the familiar, I immediately silenced the itty bitty groan of protest I felt when I discovered we'd have a different teacher  -- one who I didn't know at all.  Plus...he was a man!  I've only taken one other yoga class from a male teacher.  There are relatively few of them in the Yoga World -- at least in my yoga world.

He came up and introduced himself to me right away with a friendly smile and made sure we all had the props we would need.  He passed out little wooden disks that said the word "Assist" on one side. If a student is open to the teacher assisting with a pose (laying hands on for adjustment) we were to put the "Assist" side up.  If not, the other side up.  No ambiguity about what is "OK" for the teacher to do.  Good idea, I thought.

I loved how he started out with having us hum an opening "om".  I've said it before -- I love chanting.  I don't even consider the "om" a chant really -- more like a centering sound, and it was just that for me today.  I felt myself come fully present just with that simple resonance.

Steven then led us through asana practice that was both very familiar and totally new.  Every teacher has their own style and we find those who challenge and those with whom we settle into a routine that feels nurturing and familiar.  Whenever I have a class with a new teacher, I'm challenged, even if the poses are familiar, just because the instruction can feel so different.  Steven led us into familiar poses with very precise instructions that made the pose sound like some new pretzel style, but ended up being Side Angle, or Warrior II, or Mountain Pose or whatever, as he described the alignment in detail.  I found myself at first feeling confused, then "getting it", and focusing on more precise alignment that both challenged and enhanced my practice.

While setting up for Savasana, Steven gave us the instruction to put our right hand on the stomach if we'd like him to bring us a blanket; bend the right knee after lying down if we wanted a bolster; cry a little bit if we'd like a back rub; stick out our tongue if we'd like a hot fudge sundae....  OK, I might have made those last two up, but I loved the idea of the non-verbal cues being so clear and easy and something new.  We ended the class with a closing "om" which felt like a fitting tribute to the ancient practice.

It's fun to experience a new teacher sometimes and I am grateful that our studio has some of the very best to learn from!©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com