Karma Yoga

[Kimberly]

Please provide a summary report of your Karma yoga that includes details of your teaching (location, attendance, style of class, length of class, lessons learned). As a reminder, you are required to have at least 8 hours of Karma Yoga completed before graduation.

[regmarlew63]

My 8 Karma classes took place in a few venues. Two were at the Balancing Owl (one which is still to come), three were at New Hope Church, sharing co-teaching with yogi sister Lori Davis, two were with family and friends in a home setting, and a beach setting, and one with our YTT family at a fundraising event. All were one hour in length.
The classes with home and family settings, were very relaxed, familiar, talk and explanation seemed to flow freely. I had to remind myself that I was responsible to give as much knowledge and guidance for the best yoga experience to participants: most were totally new to yoga. And one of the first comments I received made me take a step back for a moment (most likely my inner critic). It had something to do with the ease of the practice. My first instinct was, “oh, that’s not good”, but after, I realized that she was so fearful going into the session, and the understanding for her while doing the class left her with confidence and an interest to keep doing yoga. Which she has done.
The co-teaching was a great experience! First of all, we worked with each other and created a nice series that complimented each of the classes and it was fun to watch the class grow and improve in yoga life. I love that it was, for the most part, the same people week to week, so we could see that transition. It also was a large class, so that was a good teaching moment to be in front of so many and feel comfortable. It was at this location, I learned the valuable lesson of what seems to be the simplest of asanas, still needs direction from the teacher.
The yoga studio setting (as we all know) was awesome. It seem to solidify and put a punctuation mark on all these months of our YTT journey. It felt surreal, and inspiring, and spiritual. It brought pride and excitement. My mentor’s presence was a great support and seeing Emily and a couple other good friends in attendance was encouraging.
I’m so grateful for all the Karma classes. AND for the one left to come! 🙂
Regina Lewis

[LAD92761]

Lori Davis: Karma Classes

4/29/18 6pm-7pm: Tartan Fields Club, gentle yoga, 3 in attendance. Lessons learned take extra mats, be prepared for late arrivals, have extra speaker in case other does not work.
4/30/18 noon -1pm: Tartan Fields Club, Slow Flow, 3 in attendance. Lessons learned don’t be surprised if someone leaves their mat to check their phone or go get a cup of water, just keep teaching.
5/13/18 6pm -7pm: Tartan Fields Club, gentle yoga, 2 in attendance. Sunday evenings students may be winding down, don’t rush through any pose, savor the time on the mat.
5/14/18 noon -1pm, Tartan Fields Club, Slow Flow, 3 in attendance. With men in class, be aware of modifications and allow time for them to catch up. Great discussion on yoga to enhance golf game.
5/19/18 3pm-4pm: Balancing Owl Yoga, Slow Flow, 9 in attendance. Great to be in yoga studio, get there early to set up room, check HVAC and check in students. Students like to chat, learned importance of being in the moment with each one.
5/20/18 6pm -7pm: Tartan Fields Club, gentle yoga, 0 in attendance. Mother’s Day, be prepared for no-shows, can be time of day, holiday, weather, etc.
5/21/18 noon -1pm, Tartan Fields Club, Slow Flow, 4 in attendance. Great class, added new person, get to know her prior to class to discuss possible modifications. I had marketed on Facebook and that’s how she learned about class. Finding Golf Clubs do not have the best marketing communications.
5/17/18 6pm -8pm Downs Syndrome 5k Warm up sequencing. Great learnings outside, learn voice control, facial expressions, set up to be visible, ask students to join, be upbeat and fun!
5/27/18 6pm -7pm, Tartan Fields Club, gentle yoga, 1 in attendance. Bring mat next to student and teach private.
5/28/18 noon – 1:00, Tartan Fields Club, 0 in attendance. Memorial Day weekend, pool party at Club, Memorial Tournament time. Talked to Natalie, Fitness Director about marketing enhancements.
5/23/18 6:30pm -7:30pm, New Hope Church, gentle yoga, 15 in attendance. Lesson learned, don’t be afraid to change space set up, if students can hear and see better that is the key. Walk around to help cue modifications. Be myself, share during practice, let them really get to know me!
5/30/18 6:30pm – 7:30pm, gentle yoga New Hope Church, gentle yoga, 12 in attendance. Plan time after to spend with students if they are chatty. Compliments are huge, don’t over do but build students confidence.
6/17/18 6pm – 7pm, Tartan Fields Club, 0 in attendance. This timeframe is not great in summer.
6/18/18 noon-1:00pm, Tartan Fields Club, Slow Flow. 3 in attendance. It is important to get to class early. This day, the room was messy and super warm. I turned on industrial fans to start to cool. Unfortunately it wasn’t cooling, so students asked for fans to be on during class. They were really loud and I had to speak loud over them. I walked around to cue more so students could hear me. They appreciated fans and were not bothered by them.
7/14/18 9am – 9:40am Balancing Owl, Yoga Pilates, outside Free Yoga Day, 28 in attendance. Make sure music is upbeat, find best shade to set up, start standing for centering, the less time on mats being still the better due to bugs! Cue looking to the sky, smelling the fresh outdoors! Have fun!

I was blessed with multiple Karma classes and learned so much! I will continue offering Karma classes to New Hope Church starting Fall 2018.

[dooley]

My Karma class took place at several places.

-Dash for Down Syndrome – Thursday May 17th – 6:30-8:00 We did this event as a group, which was so much fun. We worked with the runners getting them warmed up before the raise. We each took turns doing a pose with the runners. We were able to practice our cuing as well as working with all ages of people. What I learned from this experience was working with all age groups. You had to be open to using your cues to make adjustment on how to get into the pose. We were also outside with many distractions, so you had to keep your focus on what you were doing so you were able to keep the students engaged in the pose.

-I taught a gentle and slow flow class at Tartan Fields Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.
The dates were May 5th & 6th. 60 minute classes
-On the 5th I had two students. I did a very gentle class. The students did a great job. It was a wonderful class. The ladies enjoy it and said it helped them relax for the evening.
-Monday the 6th I had 4 students and did a slow flow. Another great class. The students did a wonderful job, and a two of them were new to yoga. They commented on how it helped them wind down from the morning but allowed to get reenergized for the rest of the day. My Monday June 3rd class had only one student. It was kinda nice just having one student because I was able to focus my attention on helping her relax into the poses.
-June 4th class I didn’t have any students.
-June 11th class I had two students one being a male and a golfer. He commented on how the yoga was helping him with his golfing. This was the slow flow class.
-June 10th class I didn’t have any students
-June 11th I had one student
Teaching at a gym I learned that you have to come with props they did have blocks but not mats or blankets. The atmosphere was different then a yoga studio. Most of the students were coming from an exercise class and wanted to unwind from that. The environment was more intense then a quiet and calming setting as in a studio.

-June 13th at New Hope Church. 60 minute class! I had 9 students attend this class. I had some new to yoga and some with experience. I did a slow flow. I demonstrated the pose on my mat but would walk around to watch and cue the new students to help them come into the pose better. The experienced students moved their the poses at their own pace and incorporated their own style into the pose. What I learned from this experience was doing yoga in a church setting you need to make sure your music is church appropriate. We did the yoga in the main hall entrance of the church so it was a little distracting when people would come in for other activities, but that didn’t happen until the end. I just keep my focus on what we were doing so that my students would do the same. There were no mat or props most of the students did bring their own mats/blankets. I made adjustments to my poses to help assist those who may have needed props. The feedback was great from the students. They enjoyed the flow and how it made them feel, and the new students felt like they were able to keep doing their yoga practice.

-June 9th at Athleta – 45 minute class! I was suppose to do a child’s yoga class, but no one showed, so I did a class with the staff. There were 4. It was awesome! The staff enjoy having some time to relax before they opened the store. The manage said it helped them to calm themselves down from the business of getting the store ready to open that they were ready to go back with a calm mind. We even discussed doing this on a regular basis. I did a basic slow flow with some modifications because two of the staff members had never done yoga before. What I learned from this experience was to adjust my sequencing at the last minute. I didn’t have anything planned for an adult class, so I had to put together something at the last minute. I really like doing that and it turned out great.

-July 14th at Athleta – 45 minute class I did a child’s yoga class. I had three children with two adults. The ages were three years of age up to ten years of age. It was fun. We did a some breathing in the beginning, and then we drew cards with poses on them and each students talked about the pose then demonstrated the pose and then we all did the pose. After each round, we took a few minutes to discuss the pose and what they liked and didn’t like about the pose. We continued to draw cards until it was time for savasana. I was a little concerned about doing this considering their age but they liked it and stayed focused on their breathing during this process. What I learned from this process was I enjoyed teaching children and it was in a different setting then a yoga studio. We did it in the store.

-June 16th at Balancing Owl I have six people at this class and did a slow flow. What an awesome experience. Several of my students were very new to yoga. One of them this was his fourth class. I received positive feedback from this student. He enjoyed my music because it was the first time he had been to a class that played music with words. He actually enjoyed it. What I learned from this experience is things happen. My phone would not hook up to the studio’s blue tooth. After several attempts from my mentor we still couldn’t get it to work. When I put my student’s into savasana, I reached into my bag to pull out my speaker and hooked up my phone to it. I was able to do this with little disruption to the class. Being flexible when you are teaching is so important. You don’t want your students to see you panic because something didn’t go right. My student’s didn’t even know that I had gotten into my bag to get my speaker. Being in a yoga studio is very different from teaching in other places. The atmosphere is more calming/relaxing. The students come in and sit or lay on their mats and prepare for their practice. Some will just lay on their backs with their eye closed, while others may come into Easy Seated Position and focus on their breathing, and others will come in and do some stretching before beginning their practice. It was a great experience.

I have been doing a weekly series with my neighbor and her friends since the beginning of May. I did a slow flow. This was done in her home ranging from 1-6 people for 60 minutes on Wednesday at 3. These were church ladies and requested that I play church music, so that was a different experience for me, but one that I enjoyed. The experience was great. We practice in her basement. That atmosphere was different. It was a more relaxing environment. They sat on their mats and talked until I was ready to start class. Most of the people have not done yoga before, so I was able to take the time to break down the pose for them. I used this opportunity to use my cues to help them adjustments. I didn’t do any physical assists but would go them and demonstrate the pose or any adjustment they may have needed. We took the chance to discuss any questions they had and any suggestions they wanted to make. We are continuing this practice throughout the rest of the year.

Doing these Karma classes has been the best experience for me. I gave me chance to learn how to use my cues to help my students make any modifications they may have needed. I was able explore the different styles of yoga to see where my passion may be. I believe that gentle, kids and chair yoga is where my passion lay. I gave me the chance to develop my teacher’s voice. I was also able to experiment with walking around the room to teach instead of always being on my mat. I would demonstrate the pose, but then would take the opportunity to walk around and give verbal cues as well as watch how my students were doing. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have this experience to learn how to improve my teaching skills.

[melross1]

My karma classes were every Tuesday and Thursday beginning June 5 and we finished July 12.
I taught the Hilliard Davidson color guard. The average class was 11. There are a total of 13 kids but we had days that one or two were missing.
We were on the stage I the “PAC”. Because it’s my daughters guard, I bought all the kids a cheap yoga mat as a gift and took them every time to ensure they didn’t forget the mats. I took speakers for music and put play lists together that I thought the kids would enjoy. The coach brought a large speaker and mc’d one of the days.
Most of the classes were stretching.
June 5- 90 minutes. Vinyasa and stretch
June 7- 45 minute vinyasa
June 12- 60 minutes vinyasa
June 14- 45 minutes core and stretch
June 18- 60 minutes vinyasa
June 20- stretch
June 26- 60 minutes vinyasa
June 28- 45 minutes stretch
July 10- 30 minutes stretch

Their favorite pose is corpse. One of the boys said “Bo, why is your mom so athletic? I love her but I’m dying.”
I was very fortunate we didn’t have many hick ups, we started late a couple times because the coach had to get us in the pac.

[EmilyD]

5/17/2018: Fiserv, 60 minutes, unknown participants, Stretch-style class
This was a challenge for me. It was different people coming in and out, no centering, and the YTT students just went pose by pose rather than structuring a whole class. But I loved interacting with the people that stopped by to participate.

6/4/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
6/7/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
6/11/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
6/14/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
6/18/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
6/21/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
6/25/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
6/28/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
7/2/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
7/5/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
7/12/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
7/16/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class
7/19/2018: KMS, 30 minutes, approximately 30 students, Stretch class

I loved my time at Karrer with the football team. I wasn’t sure how the boys were going to do adding yoga to their summer training, but as we went through the weeks, I think they actually grew to enjoy it. I had the full support of the coaching staff, which helped me a lot. I was introduced as coach DeRee. Most of the kids were really willing to try what I put out there for them, and by the end of our six weeks, they could actually be still in savasana for at least 90 seconds. I found a book that had short meditations for athletes, which was a lifesaver.

The hardest things for planning this class were:
1. 30 minutes flies by. It’s hard to get in adequate centering, warm-up, and cool down with the actual class in the middle.
2. These were all new to yoga students and the group varied from class to class. Not only did I have to demo everything every time, I had to cue to breath with each move, and be very clear with my instructions to get the kids into the poses. This is good practice for me, but mentally exhausting.
3. There were a few boys that did not want to be there and were a bit of a distraction.
4. Anything out of the norm was too much for this group – I put them on the wall for two classes and we were forced outside for one. The were the toughest classes I taught to them.
5. You can’t predict what is going to happen – there were poses I thought would really challenge them that didn’t, and postures I thought would be easy that weren’t.

7/3/2018 Balancing Owl 60 13 Slow Flow
7/10/2018 Balancing Owl 60 6 Slow Flow
7/14/2018 Balancing Owl 40 13 Slow Flow

I had one class on free yoga day and two hour long sessions with my friends at the Balancing Owl Studio. The studio setting has been more of a challenge for me. I find that my nerves make me cue too quickly. I need to find a way to calm my body and mind before classes in the studio so I can be calm for my students. Laurie and Ann didn’t notice my nerves, but I could feel them on the inside. Because of the way my studio time was structured, I didn’t have much time to settle into the room or center myself in the studio before my students started arriving.

I am still working on how much content to have available for a 60 minute class. I always have a few extras in my margins to add in, but I’d rather cut than add on the fly. I think I’d like to work on making my transitions more smooth – perhaps more vinyasas throughout class to refocus, reset, and reconnect with breath.

I want to find a way to relax during savasana without worrying I’ll allow class to go too long. It’s actually the most stressful part of the class for me. Ironic, right?

I still haven’t messed too much with playlists. I like music in the background, but for now, I’ve found a few yoga themed playlists and a few classical playlists that work well in the background. Music will come.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by EmilyD.

[KHuttsell]

I really enjoyed my Karma yoga teaching. I learned that I enjoy the challenge of balancing all the cues, class timing, and the students’ needs while creating a positive environment in which to practice. This part of the YTT journey has made me more interested in teaching upon completion of the program.

My Karma Classes were as follows:

1. Worthington Dental (5/7/18) – 6 attendees – I designed this class to allow for stretching since most of the individuals who would be attending were either working over patients or at computers. Everyone in this class was a beginner except for one student. I enjoyed being able to relate their situation of needing to relax and stretch after working all day. And with many of the students being avid athletes – I gained an insight into how tight muscles can be – and how this may limit the poses they can comfortably practice.

2. Dash for Down’s Syndrome – (5/17/18) – a crowd! – This experience was unique from the rest of the experiences I had because we had to encourage people to participate. A typical class would have students who have previously chosen to attend. Our “students” made a decision when they saw us. Once we had a few people working with our YTT teachers – other bystanders began to watch and even participate. I liked how we worked together as a team to stretch the runners and their family and friends. We were also able to advertise for Balancing Owl which is another skill we need to learn as YTT – how to promote ourselves and our business.

3. Girl Scout Troop – (5/20/18) – 6 attendees – The girl scout class was structured to meet the requirements of a girl scout yoga badge. The badge requirements includes a traditional class. I used basic poses that allowed the girls to practice and also play with the poses. The badge also included incorporation of some of the Yamas. We discussed truthfulness and nonviolence. This was an important discussion for the girls as it discussed how we treat other people that we may interact with. In addition, we discussed how the girls should love themselves- and appreciate their own uniqueness.

4. Worthington Dental (5/21/18) – 5 attendees – For my second class at Worthington Dental – I themed the class “fully supported.” My intent was to bring blocks into every pose and allow the students to attempt more challenging asanas. This was based on the fact that my first class at Worthington Dental had many athletes – and seemed to want more of a challenge. This plan backfired on me when I had a completely new group of 5 students who had not practiced yoga previously. So I improvised and altered the sequence I had used in the first class with a few changes to freshen it up. It worked out great – and I learned a valuable lesson about having to make changes when you think you have a different class than you planned for.

5. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Class Fundraiser – (6/4/18) – 7 attendees – The friend I was holding this fundraiser for had unexpected knee surgery. So to allow her to fully participate in the fundraising class – I held a restorative class. I arrived early to set up a mat and props for each student – which I believe is a necessity. First, because it takes a long time to get all the props out and you do not want to cut into class time. Second, because it makes the room feel calm and inviting as students know exactly where to sit for class. I also learned a lot about anatomy since I had to adjust each pose to accommodate my friend’s knee brace.

6. Worthington Dental (6/11/18) – 3 attendees – With summer in full swing, I chose to hold a beach themed yoga class. Our opening for the class was a guided meditation that led students to the beach. This was the first meditation I incorporated and I loved seeing how the students were able to relax so early in the class. In addition, all the poses were associated with the beach such as: boat, sun salutations, dolphin, (palm) tree, etc. The students seemed to enjoy how they were able to associate the class with something they enjoy doing.

7. Scout Mom Restorative Class – (6/25/18) – 4 attendees – I loved the small size of this particular restorative class. It allowed me to give more detailed attention to each student as they moved into the restorative poses. Since I had more time with each student, I obtained a better understanding of the challenges different bodies can have in these poses. In particular, I learned how supported child’s pose may not be as natural for some and additional props under the thighs might feel better. I also used another meditation to allow student’s to fall deeper into the relaxation.

8. Balancing Owl Community Class – (7/21/18) – 10 attendees – This was my largest group one on one, and I learned a lot about how to manage the room. I had everything from fellow YTT teachers (thanks girls!) to beginners to those who had been practicing for awhile. In addition, I had one student arrive almost halfway through the class to begin – and had to quickly get her mat set up during a flow. I learned the key is to just be patient with yourself and know that what you put forth is the best you can do. I also know that I need to begin moving more off my mat during teaching so I can be more present with the students. Understanding how I may need to change a pose to allow more students to participate or noticing when students are confused can be remedied by releasing one’s self from the “teacher’s mat.”

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by KHuttsell.

[sally200]

Karma Classes –
I was fortunate that I was able to teach all my Karma classes at Tapestry Healing Arts Center, Troy, Ohio. My goal was to teach a later evening (730p-830p) class that backed up to a growing Yin class that Tammy was offering. The students could stay for the next class (students that I take classes with) and my friends and new clients to support the numbers for the class. My plan is to continue the teaching the class after I graduate starting in September.

My classes were all beginners/gentle class, Hatha style. Tammy put the class on the website and I had good attendance each class. Our studio holds 10-12 and my classes averaged 7 people a class. Tammy attended all but one class because there was no room. I was thrilled that they were well attended. All classes were 60 minutes.

My classes were May 17, 24, 31, Jun 7, 14,21,28 and July 5.

Good Teaching Experience:
-I started and ended my classes on time.
-Voice projection was good sometimes I was to soft, and its okay to have water, my mouth would get dry.
-Always practice
-Greet students and remember their names
-Be a grateful teacher
-I decided to use yoga music on Apple Music for my classes
-My sequences were all set up with 1) Meditative Beginning/Warm Up/Stronger Middle/Cool down/Savasana – poses were all from the book
-Listen to students, what are they saying, and how can you work that into your next class
-Relaxed after about the 4th class.
-Students are cool folks, my yoga class, their connection really matters, together you can change their energy and health -and the world will be better

Lesson Learned Teaching:
-Turn your phone on airplane mode
-Have fun with it, be yourself
-How Yoga really helps people- more than I realized
-You are always learning
-Right now I do not need to memorize my sequence
-Working on cues – introduce the pose before moving into it
-Stay with the pose book during the YYT training – master these first before moving on – on my fourth class, I made it up from Tummee, and Tammy felt that I was not ready for using an outside source. She suggested that for my last 3 classes that I look at my first three classes, and with my new knowledge of teaching look at them, and make improvements. That worked out great.
-I have to work on my stamina, when I did my classes I practiced it twice, took TAmmy’s class at 6p and did my class at 730p and paid for it the next day. 4 hours of yoga.
-Be confident that you matter, your class matters

[Beth]

My Karma teaching was at the Warner Center Platform on OSU Newark campus. I taught on Wednesday evenings after work from 5 – 6PM from April 11 – May 30. I marketed it over email as a Slow Flow class to my coworkers at OSU and to the colocated campus (Columbus Ohio Technical College) staff. There were many people who responded to the email but each session between 5 – 10 people actually attended. I had four people who attended every session, which allowed me to build on poses for them.

o I really enjoyed teaching at my workplace with my coworkers because it allowed me to get to know them on another level. I intentionally asked them when they’d like to have yoga and they overwhelmingly voted to have it in the evenings after work to help them relax and focus back on themselves. I built these classes to be a slow flow, almost yin at times, class showing beginners how to get into some of the most common poses. Learning names of the poses, and how they are cued helped them feel more comfortable going into a studio class. I also built in a different centering exercise with a focus on breathing each session. I particularly enjoy teaching three-part breath, seated, standing and laying down. I kept the music the same type, which was instrumental but with a little beat.
o I tried to accommodate without props the poses I was teaching, because I had a wide age range, and a few injuries or limitations to work with. I always held savasana for at least 10 minutes because this encouraged focus and relaxation. I tried a few short poems and meditations during savasana and sometimes I just spoke from my heart, as I intimately understand what the staff go through during a day at work. I tried to encourage and empower them to care for themselves, as we are in a helping profession.
o I received positive feedback along the way about my voice volume and cuing which helped me adjust to make things clearer for students. I added poses which focused on parts of the body that were requested, including hip and chest openers. In general, the individuals who attended my class struggled to get into poses, partially due to flexibility and balance. I tried to add in some standing balance asanas and began holding some of the poses slightly longer.

My final hour of Karma teaching was on June 23rd at Balancing Owl Yoga, for the open Saturday sessions. I had 9 people attend and Kelly Schultz was my stand-in mentor for this class, as my mentor was not able to make it.

o I felt more confident teaching this class, even though it was in the studio because I had already completed several hours of teaching. That said, I completely forgot to name poses as I was getting into them! I did however not say the word “modification” more than one time during this class, I was trying really hard to remove this from my vocabulary.
o I learned that I prefer to teach outside of the studio, because it felt more accessible for beginner students. I feel this could change over time, this could just be how I feel at the beginning of my teaching. I also like teaching slow flow or yin for the time being. I am finding that I have an interest in yoga for the spine or for back pain/alignment. This is because of my personal experience practicing yoga with scoliosis.

My overall goal was to continue teaching in some capacity as I work towards my end goal of writing and receiving a grant to teach to low-income women in parts of the community which are underserved by yoga classes. My Karma Yoga teaching helped me to secure a position teaching yoga at OSU Newark, so I am grateful for the opportunities this has opened for me!

[msinghal]

Meenal

I was early in finishing my Karma classes.
Most of them were held in our own A Grade Ahead Academy in Dublin. A Grade Ahead provides supplemental education in math and English to students from PK to HS. The Dublin academy has spare capacity and so classes were offered to parents of the students attending classes there. The classes were held April 3 to May 1 – every Tuesday – 2 sessions back to back of 45 minutes each. All classes were slow flow style with different themes based on Yamas and Niyamas.

April 3:
Style and theme: Slow flow with “Aprigrah” (letting go)
Location: A Grade Ahead Dublin
Session 1: 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Attendance: 5
Session 2: 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM Attendance: 3

April 10:
Style and theme: Slow flow with “Santosh” (contentment)
Location: A Grade Ahead Dublin
Session 1: 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Attendance: 5
Session 2: 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM Attendance: 3

April 17:
Style and theme: Slow flow with “Ahimsa” (non-violence)
Location: A Grade Ahead Dublin
Session 1: 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Attendance: 4
Session 2: 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM Attendance: 2

April 24:
Style and theme: Slow flow with “Tapas” (discipline)
Location: A Grade Ahead Dublin
Session 1: 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Attendance: 4
Session 2: 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM Attendance: 3

May 1:
Style and theme: Slow flow with “Ishvar pranidham” (surrender)
Location: A Grade Ahead Dublin
Session 1: 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM Attendance: 7

May 17:
Style: Stretch
Location: Fiserv
Session: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Attendance: unlimited

June 9:
Style and theme: Slow flow with Balance
Location: BOY
Session: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Attendance: 10

June 16:
Style: Warm up to 5K
Location: Asha Ray of Hope walk
Session: 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Attendance: unlimited

June 24:
StyleChair Yoga
Location: A Grade Ahead Powell
Session: 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM Attendance: 30

Lessons learned:
1. There may be low attendance for the class despite confirmations.
2. People may arrive late – after class has started. Be prepared to handle that situation. Have a couple spaces marked, ready with props, for late arrivals.
3. People arrive without mats, so have spare ones.
4. People will squirm and leave eyes open during savasana. Be ok with that.
5. Practice timing the sequence especially as a new teacher. A sequence of a 45 minute class is much different from a 60 minute class.
6. Pay attention to the time of the day the class is held. Theme and flow would be dependent on that.
7. I thought mirroring would be impossible, but I was able to manage it in the last couple classes.
8. Chair yoga and the warmup before the walk at Asha was hugely successful. People wanted repeat sessions.
9. Creating an ambience in a room that is already not a studio is important. I accented the room with candles and lights.

[CindyHurst]

Date Location Attendance Style of Class Duration
4/7/18 My house 1 Private – Hatha L2 60
Stop teaching like a robot; just be myself
4/8/18 My house 1 Private – Hatha L2 60
Better today; more relaxed and more like myself; convinced me to go with what I know and love
5/12/18 Athleta 0 Gentle / Restorative L1 45
No students; store did not get the Yoga event on their calendar until 2 days before; proves how important marketing is for these types of events
5/17/18 FiServ ? Outside of the Studio 60
The importance of community energy and the strength of teaching as a team
6/6/18 NW OB/Gyn 6 Hatha L2 60
Timing is a challenge for me; more time for centering and I also need to slow down the overall pace
6/13/18 NW OB/Gyn 5 Hatha L2 60
Not everyone knows what I know; explain the terminology and/or demo the pose first
6/20/18 NW OB/Gyn 2 Hatha L2 60
Since the class was small, I gave my students Reiki at the end of class and it was very well received; I need to incorporate Reiki in future classes
6/27/18 NW OB/Gyn 3 Hatha L2 60
As we’ve gotten to know each other, this class was a lot more interactive; I found this to be a very comfortable way to teach
7/5/18 Ah-sana Yoga 4 Hatha L2 60
Designed a new class sequence and forgot to bring it with me; the sequence did not resonate with me anyway, so I taught what I know and it was good
7/13/18 My house 1 Private – Hatha L2-3 60
Private sessions are so fulfilling with an engaged student; I think I’d like to do more one-to-one classes
7/14/18 BOY Outdoor Class 16 Hatha Flow L2-3 40
At 10AM it was 85℉; reminded students to listen to their bodies; showed pose modifications at the beginning of the class; paused to remind then to stay hydrated
7/19/18 Ah-sana Yoga 2 Yoga Basics – Hatha L1 60
I had 2 beginners so they asked a lot of questions and I was able to share a lot of information; very rewarding experience
7/31/18 Ah-sana Yoga 1 Hatha L2-3 60
Experienced student, so we practiced together; still trying to get used to the fact that sometimes students don’t show up for class
8/2/18 Ah-sana Yoga 2 Hatha L2-3 60
Karen Huttsell and Liz Littleton in my class – what’s not to like; they enjoyed my interactive teaching style; works well for a small class
8/6/18 Ah-sana Yoga tbd Hatha L2-3 60
8/11/18 BOY tbd Hatha L1-2 60

Total Hours 15.4

[heatherfly]

My Karma yoga experience took place at Star House (a community center for homeless youth), and st St Patrick’s Epsicopal church in dublin. Before I write more I have to thank Abby Rogowski for both of these opportunities. If not for her completely un summoned generosity I would have struggled with setting something up for myself. I’m terribly shy about putting myself out there and each time I found myself in that familiar paralysis, she just, out of the blue, called with more opportunities for me. My gratitude is large for you, Abby.

I’ve been going to Star House on Monday’s and teaching yoga there from 11:30-12:30 since June 4. Among the many times going there, I’ve only taught 5.5 hours there in total. Often no one will want to do it. The building can be warm, the community members tired, the air has an edge and the people can’t settle down enough. Often only one or two will do it. Once there was 4. I learned early that it was better to do homework and increase competence in working with youth and working with traumatized populations and in working with people with no experience in yoga than it was useful to plan a full class and expect to implement it. When i planned I went in with a lot of stress. When I stopped planning and trusted myself to be able to lead a class that was responsive to the people then I was able to be really present and responsive. These people walk all day and sleep in non-beds most of the time. Their aches and pains are real. And so being open to understanding what needed attention in their bodies (once sore feet, once an aching back and neck, once tight hamstrings) then I was able to create something responsive to what they needed. Planning, in that setting and for now, when I’m just building interest there, for me was standing in the way of being able to give them the yoga that could serve them. But working strongly on my own self guided practice, embodying my practice and trying new things in my practice and thinking about the youth there and reading about trauma informed yoga all are how I’ve come to prepare. Instead of planning a full class and expecting to implement it. In this case, no planning allows me to be more present. I’ve come to love going there. One of the things I love most is being able to offer centering moments, to point out strength in their bodies that is naturally there and to do mindfulness practices before, during and after. And I’ll continue going there on Mondays.

Church yoga has also been a really nice experience. Most times there have been 4 people, though the last time it was just 1. This has been on Thursdays from 4-5. I’ve been there 4 times and will continue for a while after. Most of the participants have been older and at first it was a challenge to figure out the best target in terms of planning the class. There have been participants who have been older and younger, once an elderly woman who sat in a chair and once a 12 year old girl with her mom. This has also posed a challenge for planning but I’ve come to focus on basics with options available to me if the participants seem open to more or deeper experiences. I’ve done a class using a chair and it was really fun and no less a rich practice than without a chair.

Being a mindfulness based therapist I’ve found teaching yoga to be an extension of my work. I love being able to facilitate peoples’ turning Inward, toward themselves, getting into their bodies and perhaps just a little bit out of their minds, without it being in the context of suffering like work is. It feels like preventive mental healthcare.

The class I did at balancing owl was my favorite experience though. It was the most complete experience, planning and implementing my full plan. I enjoy planning and am constantly still planning sequences and classes even though the places I currently teach benefit more from flexibility and openness. In those places I go to them in their space and need to be very open to what they need. A solid plan would be more about me than them in that context. I hope to find a class to teach at some point where I can give the full scope of a good rich yoga class because they’ve come to me in my space to see what I have to offer.

[lisaclick48]

1.) 5K Run prep with my yogi sisters at Fiserv in Dublin, OH for 1 hour. Guided kids and adults thru stretch and yoga poses in preparation for the run and afterwards too.
2.) Karma Yoga in Galena, OH with Young Living Essentials Oils Group. I held a Chakra Karma yoga with focus on poses for each chakra including a chakra meditation including focus on breathing exercises too. The class was with 2 students first for 1 hour
3.) Karma Yoga in Galena, OH with Young Living Essentials Oils Group. Group of 6 for an hour and a half. We had oils at each yoga mat station in baggies marked with the color of the chakra. Music was calm and nurturing in the background. One hour and a half to get thru the whole class. 10 full minutes of shavasana was important and students loved it!
4.) Karma Yoga in Galena, OH with Young Living Essentials Oils Group. Oils group of 10 for an hour and a half with same set up as the group of 6.
5.) Karma Yoga in Galena, OH with Young Living Essentials Oils Group. Oils group for 5 for one hour only outside on 7/14
6.) 1 hour at Karma yoga at Balancing Owl with eight women in the small room on 7/24. It was a restorative yoga class focused on the ocean of waves with an ocean meditation. Five poses during the hour class with focus on breath. Also had 6 minutes of Shavasana. Angie my mentor attended and gave me pointers for my next class. Holding an outside yoga session briefly.
7.) Sunday am at Alum Creek Yoga with closest friends for an hour of yoga at the creek side. Focus was stretch but also Sun A salutations in a gentle flow with lots of breathing exercises in between in mountain pose. It was awesome experience and reminds me of my desire for guide people thru yoga outside near the water. It really helped me as I was very stressed about my car being stolen the day before.
8.) I teach a kids class on August 11th at 9amEST for young girls at Athleta. It’s 45 minutes of breathing and games with fun and inspiring messages with Shavasana. Not sure how many girls I have yet but I’m sure it will be fun inside the shop that morning!
9.) Will be teaching yoga at ST Joan of Arc in Powell OH in August and hopefully long term.

[Author]

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