Lessons of the Student Teacher

Tuesday, 1/6’s classes began with a group of three for chair yoga at The Heritage of Raleigh. We built our focus from the feet upward. With the combination of  grounding the feet down (with four points of contact) and centering breaths, we relaxed the lower spine and hips.  One tall student gained three inches of height by aligning his feet, hips, and shoulders to reduce the curve in his spine. We completed class with emphasis on drawing the shoulders down and inward, and the head over the spine and level, by using imagery. The positioning was driven by the shoulder blades grasping a pencil and the head gently pressing  a piece of paper back against the wall. This is Yoga Cotillion!

Next was a Lunch and Learn at the NC Department of Labor, a follow up to my participation at the NC State Employees Wellness Expo.  Seven students and wellness coordinators learned to assess and adjust to a chair’s height and incline. The goal was Sitting Mountain Pose. We reviewed foot awareness as the foundation for properly aligning the hips and the elbows as the foundation for aligning the shoulders. From here we developed centered breathing, isometric arm and leg exercises, and practiced our Golf Swing Stretch to improve our rhythm. Thus, creating new ways to unwind from the stresses of a desk job.

The evening class at The Helen Wright Center (Woman’s Shelter) contained five new sudents. Two students had significant medical issues of scoliosis and fibromyalgia. The smokey air in the building made the idea of expanded breathing capacity a sort of mixed message. We developed our sitting Mountain Pose as slumping while seated was a common problem. The students focused on rolling their shoulders back and down, that Yoga Cotillion again.  We practiced drawing the elbows back for better balance and power while walking. The student with soliosis first was sore but eventually had significant spinal self adjustment and improved range of motion. The student with fibromyalgia had minimal discomfort and reduced whole body tension.

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