Wednesday, August 14, 2013

New Instructors and a welcome home

We made it back.  Yes, back in town, for the upcoming semester and back to yoga.  It had been 2 1/2 weeks without hot yoga; a little yoga here and there but no hot yoga and nothing consistent.

I returned to Sumit Columbia www.sumitsyogacolumbia.com my home practice.  I admit I was scared.  I was scared of the heat and of the extreme work out.  As I got to class I noticed that Katie Wear was the instructor.  This Spring Sumit had an instructor training and now all the new instructors and getting their sea legs and building their strength as instructors. They have proved themselves with double works outs for weeks and a rigorous in class preparation.   Yet they each need to get their cadence and feel their strength.  

So Katie, is a sweetheart. She was often present at the 9:00 class that I frequented for months.  She worked really hard and had achieved some serious flexibility.  Now she was teaching the class.  It was exciting to see how she felt the strength of the class and was letting it fly.  You could tell she was a little hesitant occationaly, as any new instructor would be, but she was connecting with her students and watching for adjustments. She was complimenting people that did well and in control of the room.  She was moving from knowing it to internalizing it.  I enjoyed her class.  I look forward to watching her as she lets her wings fly.  

Before I went away I had Molly Sutton as an instructor and she was really quite good. She had the routine down pat and a strong rhythm.  She had seen the strength of the practice for herself and some of her family members.  She was driven to share this amazing journey.  She was inspired and was passing that on to her class.  She was on the schedule a lot and it showed in her proficiency. 

Today I did a practice with Axton.   Let me preface this with the fact that Axton's Mom is probably the strongest and tightest of the teachers.  Her yoga background is a mile wide and a mile thick.  She has a background in Bikrum and is chiseled and strong.  She is the wonderful lady who told me there was no room for failure when doing a 30 day challenge. She is the one that says Push, and push, and push.   So Axton has some pretty big feet to fill.  

So Axton was leading the class with Emily in the class helping him with temperature control etc, as a great mother does for her child.  Axton knew the script, and in his voice I could hear the strength of his Mother.  His voice had a great tone and I could see him adjusting with the people's needs.  He did go a little fast as he was nervous.   Yet he naturally added a point that made me think.  Most new teacher are too worried about script to add anything deep.   Axton said, when we were in Tree that if you swayed that was OK because trees swayed like that. It was comforting and it was said with a Winnie the Pooh kind of empathy.  It showed the Yogi Axton has the potential to be, to fly beyond or with the mother bird as we hope all of children will do.   

Good luck to all the new instructors.  I am sure I will have the pleasure of practicing with many soon.  It is good to be back.      

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