The HR contact told me that many of those signed up may not show up because it was so cold and employees chose to work out of their homes. So despite the fact that half of those (10) who were signed up did not show up it was a great class. I had plenty of time to set up the room and use the bathroom.
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| Post-class raffle drawing... |
At first I was surprised to see only very young people, in retrospect I assume that it could have been in line with the demographics of the Employees. I have been at other marketing/advertising firms where the average age was the low thirties, not that it mattered really.
After a short intro of myself and education about LV Chair Yoga and the essentials of yoga, namely alignment (Seated Mountain, breath, meditation, modifications, being in the body, etc.) and inquiring about previous yoga experience (50%) I started the class. I made sure to include some of these fun exercises that never fail to cause giggles. I love giggling myself and giggles...
And to "really challenge" students after taking them from cue to cue to check their alignment keeping them in an asana then asking them to add a smile and inquire whether they are still breathing... ha, ha, I have always appreciated this very much and thought it was fun...
After the class I inquired how everybody felt. The responses were so positive and included the words more relaxed, more open, feeling better and then one young woman added "And I am happier". And that is why I decided that I should teach yoga, too. Yoga should be part of everybody's life. Everybody deserves to experience the benefits of yoga. (A minute later, the same young woman's raffle ticket was then drawn, must have been her lucky day!!)
At this point I would like to thank all the amazing yoga teachers whose classes I have been in, whose articles I have read, whose websites I have been on, etc. and who are to a certain degree ingrained in my yoga DNA; they are funny, sweet, kind, gentle, fierce, challenging, understanding, knowledgeable; they come in all sizes and ages, skin tones, they are trying their best to be balanced so they can teach yoga and they are still real people who deal with the currents of modern life.
Alright alright alright (still a bit under the Oscars), yoga is just so alright. By the way, Yoga has been with me longer than ANYTHING else in my life - happy 20th anniversary!
A now memory lane; I'll never forget going to Caravan of Dreams on E 6th street and meeting Henry Kochan my first yoga teacher after coming across his flyer at PS 122 in 1994. He then moved his class to 12 St. Marks Place (2nd floor) where he stayed until 2001/2002?. This space is now occupied by Yoga for the People (donation-based yoga). I am still in touch with Henry and friendships with yogis formed back then have outlasted others. Henry's yoga included partner yoga (some of it was definitely acro yoga), chair yoga, and unusually long yummy savasanas; he may have been well ahead of his time although I admit I did not know what other teachers were doing since I only practiced with Henry for at least seven years. I was only aware of Jivamukti's existence around the corner, but there was no need to shop around, I was perfectly happy about where I was and none of my buddies talked about other yoga studios, this was well before the yoga explosion and yoga gear (I did not buy yoga pants back then, it was either sweat pants, shorts, or just baggy pants, like my Thai pants, can you imagine 1994 now!) At one point Henry gave me a yoga mat which I still have. Gotta love memory lane and the warm belly effects.
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| the cover of Henry's self published book |
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| back of the book - can you find me? |
Birgit Nagele, ARCB, LVCHT™
ARCB-nationally certified Reflexologist
Reflexology, LV Chair Yoga, Employee Wellness Online (new)
Private Clients, Corporate, Mobile Services, Self Care Workshops, Special Events, and Reflexology for the PUPPY
Tel: (917) 664-5792
www.http://ban-chi.net/
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