I've taught at my local studio now for about a month and a half (like 7-8 classes something) and started to get a little bit of a routine for it. I have a few different versions of my main sequence (hard, medium, easy) and with emphasis on different things (twist, flow, hips etc.)

I remember the first class I gave here (#856250) —at our studio, on my own, no privates or substitutes for teachers at a well-established studio or in friends' living rooms—and I was pretty terrified... Do I still know how to do this? What if the peeps won't like the practice, what if I'm too harsh, too physical, too acrobatic? (#864752). The most panicked I felt, though, was about ten minutes before class thinking that nobody would show up... and what a waste of me that would be, how silly I was thinking I could bootstrap a regular yoga practice at the edge of nowhere etc etc.

...but two peeps showed up, and they have been regulars more or less every week since (plus a bunch of others now and again!). So I've had the enormous pleasure to see them grow and get stronger, get more familiar with the vinyasa practice—even managed to hold a (simplified version of) crow for 4-5 seconds each (#864752)!

I knew that this week, all of the half-dozen or so peeps who had attended my classes in recent weeks were otherwise engaged, at work, or out of town. But one lady (who goes to the other teacher's classes) had told me that she wanted to come. Ugh-ugh, so now I'm gonna have to give an improv private to what's mostly a stranger...?

Luckily, not one but three mid-50s ladies showed up, very eager to practice. I'm not a natural fit for them, given that I like flowy, fast vinyasas with arm balances and jumps and handstands and plenty of flows... that was not going to cut it today. So just like that time so many weeks ago, I had to get to know them and see where they were at in their practice... and that was the second major lesson of today: throw out most of the things I had intended to teach.

It was quickly quite obvious to me that these ladies struggled with a down dog (don't we all...) and that taking them through a vinyasa sequence was pretty unfeasible. So instead we did a few simplified, slowed-down Sun A's, and then I threw in a bunch of balancing postures and extra child's pose and core exercises in the middle.

Where I completely went wrong was to do a version of a balancing stretch I had used in the past when I don't quite know what level to put the class. So the idea is to gradually go toward a flying pigeon:

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It's a very forgiving teaching tool, very inclusive, because students can stop at any time and just hold there, while whoever wants to try more can keep going further.

I knew, of course, that this crowd wouldn't get into an arm balance, but I thought we would get a few steps along the way and have fun getting there.

... turns out we couldn't stand up and balance with one leg on top of the other. oh shit. Luckily, one lady came to my rescue and immediately walked over to the wall to do the balancing exercise there instead. _"Oh yes, great! If the balance isn't there for you today in the middle of the room, maybe use the wall as assistance."

Had totally not anticipated that.

Toward the end, when I had slowed them down and we had done a number of hip stretches on the floor, I guided them toward a savasana. More or less the minute I was about to cue that and let them rest (dimming the lights, lower the music volume, pull the curtains etc), one lady—bless her soul—goes... "Can we do pillow time now?!"

So they got a long and nice savasana!

I was really impressed and happy about these women showing up for the practice and going through what was a tough and unfamiliar routine for them. They seemed happy and content, so I guess job well done...? I really like what this journey is giving me these days, having to think about the practice of yoga from a different point of view now that I'm the one administering the poses and seqeuences to students. Wonderful challenges.