What You Need

04Jun10

One of the latest revelations I’ve had in my yoga studies is that part of being a yoga instructor is about tuning in to what your students need.  I never really thought too much about this.  I mean, I notice when I take classes that the instructor will usually ask about any injuries or special requests from the class.   But my teacher training talks specifically about scanning your class, noticing things like age, gender, whether the individual seems tight or loose in the class, and what kind of emotional state people are bringing into the room.  Is someone carrying themselves in a sad, slouchy posture?  Or a tense, upright one?  Or maybe just a happy and relaxed way?  One of the exercises for my “homework” is to think of a person in my life and reflect on what I perceive they need from a mind, body, and spirit perspective.
This was super freaking cool to me.
I’ve often wondered what the heck kind of job I could do (other than what I do) that would apply my skills for scanning and analyzing people (which makes me sound like a cyborg, btw).  What could I possibly do to put my ridiculous and sometimes exhausting empathy to good use?  I never thought I could manage as a psychologist or counselor because I also get too emotionally invested in people.  I would go home miserable in a job like that every single night, I think.
But, I think it’s pretty safe to say that tuning myself into my yoga students (when the day comes) is going to be pretty awesome, life-affirming, and re-energizing.   It’s only been a week, but I am learning a lot–about yoga, and about myself.
(Also I keep dreaming about caring for a baby that is not my own, which apparently means you need to either nurture your inner child or you have found your hidden inner potential. Hmmmm…)

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