Hey Mom, I'm Talking to You (sorta)
I've been missing my mom lately - she and my dad are "snowbirding" to avoid the winter chill. I know I can remedy this with a call - and I will, I promise. It should not surprise anyone that she's part of this latest rumination on what I'm experiencing on my yoga journey to becoming a certified yoga teacher.
Pretty sure my mom taught me my first words. It was either her, my older brother or Sesame Street, which first aired when I was two. She gave me a love of words by reading to us, praying out loud with us and singing whenever possible. Words gave power. Strung together, they wove stories that could transport me to another time and place. Words were magical.
I'm pretty sure that's a birthday card she's reading to my daughter many years ago, but in my mom's hands - even the words on birthday cards are compelling stuff.
One of the most challenging parts of teacher training to date has been knowing what to say and, most importantly, how to say it while leading a group of yogis in a sequence. Finding command of words in the moment - wielding their power confidently, yet gently and clearly so that the yogis know what's going on.
Seems simple, right? Just tell the yogis what to do, then how to do it. Just like I've experienced in every single vinyasa class over the last five years, right?
Wrong.
In a vinyasa style (on the breath movement) yoga class - there's a lot of movement, which means there's a lot to say.
Yet saying too much is distracting and not saying enough can leave beginners feeling lost. The yogis I'm practicing on know the sequence already and have a pretty established practice on their own. This doesn't mean I can slack off, I have to be clear, concise and direct.
So far, I've learned that I need to simplify my cues and work on leading my class with short, descriptive sentences.
The irony here is that, I can write that way. It is how I wrote in a newsroom for nearly twenty years. Active voice. Simple sentences. Just like everything else in life, it takes practice. As a freelancer, I would sometimes have gaps between stints in a chaotic, hectic and fast-paced newsroom.
Sure, writing for the ear, which is what news writers have to do can be likened to the proverbial "riding a bike" - meaning once you learn how, it comes back to you when you have to do it, especially under pressure. Yet there were times, typically when I had a very tight deadline, that I'd be at a loss over what to write.
I'm not sure I've ever told her this, but when I'd get stuck on how to begin a story, I'd imagine I was telling my mom the breaking news over the phone. What would be the first thing I'd tell her? It helped me break through writer's block nearly every time.
Looks like I'll have to use my mom (mentally) to overcome this challenge.
I don't think she'll mind.
Pretty sure my mom taught me my first words. It was either her, my older brother or Sesame Street, which first aired when I was two. She gave me a love of words by reading to us, praying out loud with us and singing whenever possible. Words gave power. Strung together, they wove stories that could transport me to another time and place. Words were magical.
I'm pretty sure that's a birthday card she's reading to my daughter many years ago, but in my mom's hands - even the words on birthday cards are compelling stuff.
Seems simple, right? Just tell the yogis what to do, then how to do it. Just like I've experienced in every single vinyasa class over the last five years, right?
Wrong.
In a vinyasa style (on the breath movement) yoga class - there's a lot of movement, which means there's a lot to say.
Yet saying too much is distracting and not saying enough can leave beginners feeling lost. The yogis I'm practicing on know the sequence already and have a pretty established practice on their own. This doesn't mean I can slack off, I have to be clear, concise and direct.
So far, I've learned that I need to simplify my cues and work on leading my class with short, descriptive sentences.
The irony here is that, I can write that way. It is how I wrote in a newsroom for nearly twenty years. Active voice. Simple sentences. Just like everything else in life, it takes practice. As a freelancer, I would sometimes have gaps between stints in a chaotic, hectic and fast-paced newsroom.
Sure, writing for the ear, which is what news writers have to do can be likened to the proverbial "riding a bike" - meaning once you learn how, it comes back to you when you have to do it, especially under pressure. Yet there were times, typically when I had a very tight deadline, that I'd be at a loss over what to write.
I'm not sure I've ever told her this, but when I'd get stuck on how to begin a story, I'd imagine I was telling my mom the breaking news over the phone. What would be the first thing I'd tell her? It helped me break through writer's block nearly every time.
Looks like I'll have to use my mom (mentally) to overcome this challenge.
I don't think she'll mind.
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