Namaste - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #6

March 6, 2018

Today I am grateful that one of the teachers at our school is also a yoga instructor.

Let's just say the student behavior today was not optimal (and to top it off, the issues were at lunch - so I'm not there, but have to deal with the aftermath). By the end of the day, I was exhausted.

About a year or so ago (this is my recollection, at least), our music teacher decided to become a yoga instructor. She offered some yoga classes for us for free, while she received her certification, and it was awesome. This year, she was able to lead a class in yoga for teachers that happens at our school, one day a week, about an hour after the kids leave. It has been such a godsend for me.

There was a time when I was a dedicated yogi. I lived in California for a while, and began taking yoga classes at my local gym (in California, the yoga teachers at gyms are awesome). I ended up going practically every day for 90 minute classes. This was after a particularly rough time for me, emotionally, and it really helped me refocus my energy. I lost a lot of weight, I was in great shape, I could do all these crazy poses...and then I moved back to Illinois.

I tried to keep it up, but it was hard. I didn't enjoy the classes at the gyms I went to, and couldn't afford yoga studios. I actually signed up for and completed a yoga teacher training program, myself, though the style of yoga wasn't my favorite (my favorite is Ashtanga and they don't do that as much here) and the program was a bit "new-age" for me. I did teach a slow Hatha Yoga class for a summer at a park district, but then I became a teacher and my focus really drifted.

I've always been meaning to get back into it, but have been procrastinating. Finally, since the teacher offers it at school, right after school, I am able to get back in the swing of it. I'm really out of shape, compared to how I used to be, which is discouraging. But today, I felt a bit of the old me coming back. I was able to hold some balance poses longer. I was able to do some strength poses again. I was able to really hold a low plank again.

Most of all, I was able to really focus on just breathing and holding the poses, and, for about an hour, was able to focus on myself and not the lunchroom seating assignments I am going to be making for my class (as soon as I finish this post).