yogaHOPE’s Teacher’s Blog

Assistants are essential

I had a great balance going for the women today (10 of them) between challenging those who want it and still offering something the rest of the women could do.  During the one standing sequence I did (a very modified Sun B), surprisingly many of the women lifted their knee off the mat in crescent lunge. They were very focused with a few giggles going around, but not too many.  We did a slightly different ab sequence today and they enjoyed that.  They love abs!  We held our prone postures and hip openers for a long time and they found release.  The problem I had today (and one I’ve had in the past) was no assistant.  This continues to cause me to go over the 7 to 8 slot.  We usually don’t get started until 7:10 anyway because it takes the women time to settle down, and then by the time I get started, I do my best to keep it to an hour, but with no assistant, I am continually trying to make sure the women get personal attention while teaching.  They need it and they enjoy it, so I want to give it to them. What ends up happening is adjustments that would take two people 5 minutes, take me 10. So today, we went over in Savasana as I was adjusting and T****** of Hello House asked to speak to me afterward and insisted I keep it to 8pm as the other group finishes up then and wants to get back to their room and they can’t with the women in the livingroom.  I told her I only want the women to have individual attention.  I felt badly because two women today who desperately need that attention (they are the chattiest and least focused of the group) were upset at the end of practice when they should be feeling relaxed because they didn’t feel like they got as much adjusting as the other women.  I can’t stress enough how important assistants are in a class!  So volunteers, if you’re out there and don’t have a permamnet teaching slot, or even if you do, but have extra time, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE assist a class.  The women will love you for it!   

Amanda

Autumn brings transition-Women’s Hope

The last two Thursday’s I taught at Women’s Hope we’re busy. The presence of fellow teacher Beth is always a pleasure. She is an amazing spirit which many of the women have bonded with. Since our presence from yogaHOPE is twice a week, it gives the women a chance to take class once a week or when offered on both Monday’s and Thursday’s. We also had the presence of Sarah, who is currently interning with yogaHOPE from Lesley University. Thanks for participating in class Sarah it was great to have you there.

I must admit there have been quite a few new faces at WH. Not sure if the turnover is due to the cold weather and holiday’s approaching. The women in the house are single, mothers, one returnee from a month ago. The yoga provides an hour of sanctuary, movement, and relaxation.  The women are in such need of peace within. I am truly grateful to witness the effects of the yoga while teaching. The look of calm on the womens faces at the end of class says it all….Namaste, Kat Larsen, RYT

A focused night at Hello House

After last week’s chattiness, I decided to keep it real simple this week.  I began with the women lying on their back and counting the breath, matching inhale to exhale.  Then we moved into neck stretches, side stretches, baddha konasana, janu sirasana, cat and dog stretches, right arm extended, left leg extended, working our core, and then on our backs for long bridges and some ab work, then closing with hip stretches while on our back, spinal twist and savasana.  We never once stood up! The women were so focused - it was wonderful! In particular, N**** who is the chatty one was completely focused and said after class she loved it.  That was such a change for her!  All of the girls truly enjoyed it. I did have one girl say she’d like it a little more challenging, so I’ll have to find that balance between teaching a class such as this and offering small challenges throughout.  I honestly think it’s best as Sue said to teach to the lowest level - it truly worked with N****.  Oh Sue - the girls who aren’t eligible quite yet for overnights are already asking when the next retreat is!  It’s a joy to be with these ladies.

Be well!

Amanda

Today at Shepherd House

It was a small group at Shepherd House today - 3 new girls and I was fortunate to have a new volunteer, Francoise, join us for the class.  It was great having Francoise there because she was very enthusiastic about yogaHOPE and it was nice to have such positive reinforcement.  One of the girls didn’t want to practice because she wasn’t feeling well.  I tried to encourage her to join us on the mat and to just breath with us, but she was really reluctant.  She sat on the couch and watched, but I hope she will join us next week after watching our practice today.

We started off in supta badakonasana and worked on our ujayii breath from there.  I told the girls that yoga is an ‘effort towards steadiness’, and that we never want to be in a pose that is uncomfortable, where we are gripping our teeth or holding our breath.  I asked them to keep that thought with them as we practiced today and to just focus on connecting with their breath if they find something too challenging.

We only did a few more asanas - some 1/2 suryanamaskars and hip openers like Vira 2, lunges, vrksasana, and supta padangusthasana.  I kept reminding the girls to connect with their breath as there were times I felt the only person breathing was Francoise!

Before we went into savasana, I guided the women through a Loving Kindness meditation.  In our meditation we wished ourselves, a loved one, someone who we dislike/or hurt us, and a stranger loving kindness.  I kept my eyes open to observe the women in their meditation and they really had a look of peacefulness in their faces.  It was really a touching moment for me.

We ended class with a 15 min savasana… at the end of class one of the women said she felt so relaxed and that was really such a compliment to me.  We have a tendency sometimes - myself included to focus on the physical exercise asana provides.  My intent for today was to get the women to focus on their breath, to meditate and create some space in their minds to relax…

namaste,

Jasmine

Tonight at Hello House

I taught tonight at Hello House and kept it as basic as possible.  I realized last week after a conversation with Sue that teaching at a regular studio many times a week and then teaching here is quite different - it’s hard for me to switch my brain sometimes!  We began with prone postures to open the back, then moved to a few standing stretches but no sun sals, then to the mat for seated hip openers, abs, a basic inversion (legs straight up), spinal twist and savasana.  Most of the girls were focused and very much inward, but there were three women (T***, M**** and N****) who were very chatty.  Each week I know that will most likely be the case with these ladies.  They always place their mats together and I honestly want to separate them because I think it would decrease the chatter, but don’t think it’s my place.  What happens is like children, when one gets chatty and giggly, they antagonize the other.  I kept having the class close their eyes and come back to their breath in moments when the chatter was distracting to the rest of the class, and this did seem to work.  But it honestly was difficult to keep these three women focused throughout the entire class.  I knew that the reason they were chatty is that they weren’t comfortable being with themselves, or looking within, so I tried to nurtue them as I could, but without an assistant, it was challenging!  Keira (our intern) took class and afterward I spoke about these women and the challenge they posed and Keira said it seemed to her that when I had them close their eyes and come back to breath, these women were able to find a moment’s peace, which was a lot for them.  So true.  I did have one other woman, K**** who seemed to have a breakthrough in class but I wasn’t able to speak to her about it.  She is very quiet and keeps to herself but tonight happened to be in the back next to one of the students who loves yoga, M******.  During hip openers, K came out of her hip opener and began talking with M.  They embraced and I knew that M was giving her the support she needed.  Later on in Savasana she left the room.  I asked M afterward if K was ok, and she said yes, that some stuff had come up but she was dealing with it. How brave! I would have loved to talk with her but not having it assistant made it impossible to simply focus on K and anyway, it seemed she needed alone time to process what had come up for her.  After class, I spoke with the three girls who are coming to the retreat and they are so excited.  They cannot wait!  I am so happy we can provide this retreat to these women.  I am also blessed to continue to work with all of the ladies at Hello House.

Amanda

saturday at hello house

The last time I went to hello house the turnout was low with two women.  I have to admit that at the time, I was a little disappointed as more women were in the house but not interested in doing yoga as sat. is optional.   Today, six women showed up without me prodding!! One of the women had never taken a yoga class before and was hesitant as she felt her energy was low but she took the class anyway. Lindsay the intern was with me as well and took the class.  The energy felt great. I didnt really think about what I was going to teach for the class, it just flowed naturally. I noticed that balance and grounding was a component that was needed and spent some time on that. We spent time on the 3 part breathe and alternate nostril breathing.  Next time I’d like to spent time breaking down ujjai breathing as they arent familiar with it. A few of the women said they were very relaxed at the end.   I recognized a few of the women from last time. This is my second class teaching and look forward to knowing the women better and tailoring the class according to what they need or want to learn.  It was nice seeeing the energy shift to a relaxed place towards the end of class. I really enjoyed teaching today. When I got home i thought to myself- Ive really should sign up for more.          Linda