I made a Reel the other day on Instagram about a meaningful moment I had teaching a few years back. I call it a “meaningful moment” because it’s one of those times you have a conversation with a student and you never forget it. They’re usually great conversations; ones where you definitely feel the power of connection.
A few years back, after class was done, a woman approached me and said, “Can I ask you a question?” ” Of course!” I replied.
I mean, who doesn’t LOVE to get questions after class!? It’s a great way to know you’re connecting with your students and sparking their sense of inquiry.
“Why did you tell us to “roll the inner eyes of the elbows forward” in Downward Dog?”
Well, my heart jumped. I was able to go into a longer conversation with her about shoulder mechanics and how the anatomy of the movement I was cueing was related to the anatomy of the shoulder. I explained that with that movement, even though her palms were face down, it emphasized external rotation of the shoulders. In order to create even a little of this external rotation, you need to use your teres minor and infraspinatus, muscles that tend to be typically underused. I also shared how emphasizing external rotation may counteract the feeling of collapsing or hunching towards the floor, which is common in Downward Dog.
When I was done, her eyes lit up. ” I will never forget this conversation or how to do that pose for the rest of my life! Thank you!”
And off she went.
With that I knew that the one of the keys to your confidence as a teacher is both understanding anatomy but also being able to explain it in an understandable way. We do that via the cues we share but there’s only so much we can say in that short time frame afforded us with each pose. But when someone asks us a question, we have so much more time! And this is really when you can share more and make a huge impact.
How about you? What time do you recall where you felt a connection with one of your students that just hit you in a meaningful way? Comment below!
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