Even though this has been a week of a different sort, I'll do a 'notes' blog; just to stay in practice.

1.  It's Mother's Day -- don't forget!  (Not that any of you would.)

2.  On the subject of subs (substitute yoga teachers), I ought to say 'no comment'.  My track record is awful. I arrange diligently for a sub to cover each of my classes. I remind each of those people, 3-5 days in advance (more and they'll need another reminder). I feel confident that I've covered all bases. I receive the e-mail when I'm out of town away from my class lists, telling me that they 'forgot' - sometimes with a lengthy explanation. Ah, yes, no comment. Most trips it's one class that gets 'forgotten'; this trip, TWO. I apologize to my students who might be reading this.

3.  Reminder to self - do not accumulate more 'stuff' than I can possibly use. Do not put notes, financial info, magazine articles, etc., together in paper bags and stuff them in a closet - or many closets. Do not save any information (other than simple tax return materials) longer than 7 years. Do not put my jewelry in a 'safe' place, especially since memory loss may happen.

#3 could become lengthy, so I'll stop here - just some of the 'stuff' I've learned over the past several days as I sort through my parents' home. And, even though they know what I'm doing - it still feels invasive; needs to get done, tho.

4.  On yoga, went back through a few sets of notes looking for pertinent information - pertinent, meaning, things I've experienced recently that I can relate and communicate about.  The first I found was the note "create rapport with students by (1) asking questions and (2) creating familiarity", taken from my level 2 teacher training with John (10/2008). This struck me, because I've been in some classes where I felt like I was just another body - the instructor didn't appear to care who I was and even missed the all important "any injuries" question.

I start each of my classes with a 'get to know each other minute'. Granted, if you have a class of 40, this is not possible; however, in my classes of 8-12, it is more than do-able. If I'm new to the group, I introduce myself and ask everyone to tell me their names (if I don't already know them). I strive to ask about injuries before class, but if that doesn't happen - then it happens during this 'minute'. Sometimes, I'll ask why people came to yoga. A dialogue, rather than a monologue.  (This 'minute', by the way, may not show up on a video I submit - since I've never heard that's something they want to see.)

5.  Another yoga note - common AMS (addho mukha svanasana) - down dog - misalignments (and my thoughts on solutions):

• Hands not wide enough (index & middle finger juncture lines up with outer edge of shoulder)
• Fingers not spread wide enough or too wide (contrast, then find the balance - the place that feels stable)
• Palms lifting from floor ('be committed, keep your hands pressed firmly into the floor')
• Fingers moving (ditto - 'be committed, don't shift fingers; fingers moving eliminates your connection to the earth and affect shoulder action')
• Elbows bent (recently, I've been asking students to hug forearms to midline - that usually solves it)
• Head hanging (I think ears between biceps is a good instruction, any others?)
• Shoulders and thoracic spine moving towards hands (student bends knees, I press my hand into back at shoulder blade height and push carefully, yet firmly)
• Lumbar spine moving towards hands ('bend knees slightly, extend hips towards ceiling - curve usually will correct. Keep that and begin to straighten knees. If LS bulges, repeat.')
• Knees fall to inside (block between thighs will help this, plus give insight to inner spiral's effect on the LS)
• Heels on floor - not necessarily a misalignment in some people (widen stance - as Desiree says "heels on floor is an invitation to take a wider stance from hands to feet").