Ah-ha moments should be a part of every yoga class.  They make yoga so much fun, so meaningful, so worthwhile -- and that's just for me.

And, they don't have to be monumental, amazing, hardest-to-achieve poses to be fun, meaningful, worthwhile.  Take yesterday.  Teaching Gentle Yoga, working on shoulders.  I 'borrowed' some moves from Wayne (I think I've been taught them in Therapy Trainings, but had forgotten a couple he's used lately.).

Because of tight shoulders, at least one student struggled to take her arms overhead alongside her ears.  When we did some shoulder work, including taking one arm up then grasping the arm close to the armpit with our other hand and encouraging an inward rotation, then moving the arm more overhead - taking inner and outer shoulder & shoulder blades back at the same time - the student in question was able to get her arm much more vertical to the floor.  Everyone experienced more movement, but one student's response was monumental -- 'magic'.

How I love that word 'magic'.  Says a ton, doesn't it?

I also learned a valuable lesson from the same student.  Not to read too much into facial expressions.  Each time we tried a movement with the shoulder, I would look at her and see her grimacing.  I 'assumed' she was in pain.  So - I asked, each time I saw the facial expression.  Finally, she explained -- 'no pain, I am just concentrating'.  I will still ask when I see a grimace; but, now, I won't assume it's pain.

Teaching today at 9 am, Level 1.

Have a fun Saturday,