Glimpse

10/25 - Tonight the first of seven yoga teachers-in-training taught her first public class. Anticipation was high. The studio was packed.  The air was hot.  Kate came in the room, fully present, and began to guide us through practice.  The energy in the room was incredible.  You could feel it so strongly.  The class flowed smoothly and the breath sounds were audible and beautiful throughout class.  She wrapped up our 60 minutes with her with all eyes on her, and we closed with "Namaste" - the traditional end to yoga practice.  "Namaste" means "the light in me sees and honors the light in you."  At that moment, I was overcome with emotion - joy for her, and complete awe.  I got tears in my eyes and felt a rush through my body.  It was so powerful and incredible!  I was so excited for her, and honored to be there as a witness, a participant, a friend.  If I felt like this at HER teaching, what was I going to feel like at mine?  I hoped I didn't break down crying at this point in my class.  My nervousness about my own class is diminishing and is being replaced by excitement.

Two days before Kate's public class, we met with another teacher trainer at the studio at 6:30 one morning so she could practice teaching one more time before her public class.  Upon arriving, however, Kate suprisingly stated that she was ready and gave us the opportunity to teach instead, and that she would be the student and support us.  I jumped at the chance. What a blessing!  At this point I was nervous about my public class coming up on Saturday, so I felt like I needed all the practice I could get.  I had yet to teach the whole class to anyone else at one time; just in sections. This experience shattered that nervous feeling and the not knowing. I was finally able to do out loud what I had been doing in my head and in my body over and over again.  It is one thing to think it and do it.  It is quite another to speak it, lead it, guide it, teach it.  It made it real.  It was now something I could see, feel, touch, and experience as a whole and not just in parts.  Thank you for this blessing!