My week began last Sunday, when I taught the 9am all-levels yoga class at Living Yoga in Temecula.  The class went well, but it was during that class that I noticed a small spot on my lower leg.  Monday, I had a few more spots which were red, raised and painful to touch (???).  After a few uncomfortable days a diagnosis - erythema nodosum.  It's basically an inflammatory process, signaling something amiss in the body but also can be idiopathic (which means no apparent cause).  My labs have come back normal, so idiopathic?  The spots will remain for 4-6 weeks.  What fun!

But, on the lighter side -- I am not contagious, I'm just a bit 'lumpy' in the lower legs; good excuse to order some longer yoga pants to cover most of the spots. Thank you, Prana.

On the teaching side, I've been taking two courses with Christina Sell online.  One, Teaching the Raw Beginner, is a great reminder of what students new-to-yoga will need.  In addition to the webinar lectures (8 weeks' worth), I also have access to her online yoga classes (beginner series included).  Great tool and I get so much from her teaching.  So, each morning this week, my husband awakens to Christina's voice as I try to complete the course.

The second series is Alchemy of Flow & Form, taught by Christina and Gioconda Parker.  I hate to tell you how far behind I am with that one.  Each month they post lectures, practices, study guides.  THEY are at month 6 (I think); I am back at month 3.  Trying to finish the Beginner course, then will go back to Alchemy.  It's great -- I just think I got too ambitious with online study sign-ups.

And my personal teaching?  I have been using and heralding the use of props in our practice as I teach. Lately it's been the block.

Many classes I teach are attended by students newer to yoga.  A characteristic trait of these students is a lack of confidence in their abilities, specifically balance when separating legs or standing on one leg.

Let's look at a lunge.  I have always asked students to hug legs together in their lunges (high lunge or knee-down lunge).  What I described to them (notice past tense), was to pull back foot (or knee) towards front foot and front foot towards knee (or back foot) -- an isometric 'drawing in'.  Similar to trying to close a sticky pair of scissors.

Then, thanks to someone, it was pointed out that the 'hug' is also from side to side.  I knew that, but I was not communicating it to students -- I was sticking with the scissors instruction.  How does one teach a 'hug the midline' instruction while in a lunge, however?  Then, I remembered the blocks.

When I am in a teaching situation these days, I try to have students do a few moves at the start of class with a block between their thighs (gently embracing the block, not trying to crush it).  After a few moves, we take the block out and move on to other poses. My instructions from that point on, are -- even in lunges or standing poses -- to embrace the 'imaginary' block.  It works.  I can't explain it, but it works (for them AND me).  I look out at a steadier group when I offer these instructions, and - students tell me - they are able to use this tool and feel more stable.

I love this exploration!

Seems like more happened this week, but I guess not.  The new diagnosis seemed to consume my thought process.  The new teaching tool is an exciting one.  Oh -- one more very IMPORTANT happening -- Grand-Dude Carson turned 4 on Wednesday.  That day, I was not sure whether I was contagious or not, so I missed the dinner celebration.  I hear (and see via video) that it was a good one.  Sorry to have missed it.

I hope you have a great weekend,