POSTING LATE
I rarely write in the blog this late in the day. This is usually an early morning activity, but early mornings have been taken up with other reading this week; so, this will have to do.
It's also a Friday -- I almost forgot. My blogging skills are seriously lagging these days!
This could be called a roller coaster week for me --- ups and downs; peaks and valleys; mountains and canyons.
Tuesday's Level 1-2 class, that I am subbing for Wayne, went well. It is not a large class - Wayne had just begun to grow his student population when the broken-leg-skiing-accident happened. So, I hope I can carry on and increase it by a few before he returns. We are both pretty technical in our teaching (not a lot of flowery language from either of our mouths), so students will not have too much change to deal with upon his return.
Other activities for Tuesday - Pilates, semi-private, errands - happened uneventfully.
Wednesday is Gentle Yoga day (this week, preceded by a new private client). We are gradually and gently increasing population of this class -- 11 in the room. With props - chairs, blankets, blocks, straps - it gets crowded; add the people and their mats and it's downright busy! There is room for more, tho. We'll just have to neaten up the prop piles to make more space.
That will have to happen, anyway (the neatening-up part). Sundari and I decided that this should be the class I video for the Certification Committee. More on that later.
Thursday, always a hectic day, was no different. Housework in the morning, an hour-long phone conversation with Sundari (I NEVER talk on the phone for that long), rush over to Pilates, teach a semi-private, teach level 1-2, home.
Today, Friday, Gentle Yoga again -- 10 in the room. What's going on? Used to be 2, maybe 3 or 4; never did I dream there would be 10 on a Friday. Not complaining; just commenting. A bit of grocery shopping, then home to 'build' a stew for dinner, work on the computer a bit. Going to run to the airport in a couple hours.
So, now about the video. Sundari and I talked at length about the video during our conversation Thursday (wonder how much that will cost us -- Maui to Utah). We discussed staging a class -- inviting friends and fellow instructors. I am not good with that; feel it might look 'staged' -- maybe everyone would be too perfect in their Anusara understanding or - if they tried to 'fake' something, it would look fake (what better word - fake for fake). So, next week, I will begin video'ing all the Gentle Yoga classes I teach.
So what will be challenging? Letting the viewing audience know why I am doing certain things. I thought I could just write a note and attach it to the DVD -- telling people that, as they watch the video, this happens for this reason. Her (Sundari's) opinion - I should be using my words as I teach to tell the viewing audience what they are seeing. For example, why am I behind one student in almost all the standing poses. According to Sundari, I need to communicate that during the video. Today, I practiced that a bit -- trying to verbalize, as I taught, not just instructions but also why it's being done the way it's being done. Not easy, and it could very well embarrass a student, if I'm not careful. I see lots of practice videos in the next few weeks.
Other activities on the horizon: I begin Douglas Brooks' internet work next month -- everyone's buzzing about it. Not quite sure what to 'buzz' about, since I've never studied with him. I have listened to his CD's, tho. I've also signed up to do something with Amy Ippoliti. She's posted info on her Facebook site, with more promised -- an internet series to help build classes, strengthen loyalty -- basically grow things. Need it.
January is the month I look ahead to see what/where I will be studying and with who. Looking for something with JF; not ready to go to Tokyo, so I'm hoping something will pop up here in the Western USA. Wanderlust, maybe? We'll see.
Hope you had a great week.