Lessons of the Student Teacher

Today (12/8) was quite a chair yoga day, with three classes and a mat class too. At The Heritage of Raleigh, four regular students shared chair yoga stories. One cited "awareness of their foot position has helped their healing after a recent knee injury". Another cited teaching Chair Yoga to her children and grandchildren. They became well trained in "squeezing their bunnies" to help strengthen their legs. What a start for a class! We explored 3 part breathing and finished with creating a more upright gait with a walker.
At The Wake County North Regional Library, I offer a gentle mat and then a chair yoga class. This is a growing, with steady attendees, offering that I've taught for several months. Compared to a studio, this is a bare bones classroom. The lack of props and blankets creates a shift in my lesson plan to combine resting poses and breath awareness . A greater percent of today's class for 9 was on the mat. This worked well for a new elder attendee with fibromyalgia, as well as several new to yoga students. Plus, they experienced 1/4 dog, those lucky puppies.
The immediately following chair yoga class contained 7 students, five of which were from the first class. These dual attendees are affectionately referred to as "double dippers". The student with fibromyalgia attended too. Two new to yoga seniors rounded out the group.We moved up the body from foot to crown. Everyone learned to hold a pencil with their shoulder blades and press a piece of paper against the wall with the back of their head. A new student with walking poles inspired a "rhythmic", plant and shift, skiing flow routine.
The Helen Wright Center class contained four new resident/students who learned a relaxing routine, starting with better posture in Sitting Mountain position. They felt significant relief of neck and middle back tension and demonstrated a greater than usual excitement. There was commitment to practice between this class and next week.This class creates a unique bonding situation that does spill over afterwards. Prior students cited "Namaste" as they passed outside in the hallway during class. Very cute.