Teaching and learning

I'm continuing to teach my little class at work, and I have my core group of regulars who obviously get benefit out of the class... once in a while a new person comes in, stays for one class and never comes back. For those people, it's not suitable for one reason or another - so far they have all been new to yoga, and maybe just haven't seen the point of the type of very light exercise we do.

Until yesterday. Art, one of our contractors, wanted to join in and of course I'll welcome anyone. I often start with few minutes of silence, just the get the students out of working and into some quiet time. Just sitting quietly for few minutes, eyes closed, relaxing and emptying the mind. But it seemed like he wasn't listening at all - he was looking around, rolling his eyes, sighing, huffing and puffing... ok, maybe he didn't hear what I said I though, but it just continued all the way through the class. Doing all the moves and poses half-heartedly, not concentrating, his balance was all over the place. So I thought he would be one of those whose thing it just wasn't and I'd never see him again.

But he stayed after class to talk to me, and wanted to explain how he had done years of hatha yoga and how he was headstand was his favourite pose. Well, I don't know what he was thinking I would do - but he certainly didn't have the patience, humbleness or courtesy of a yogi of several years. If I didn't like what was taught to me, for half an hour the least I could do would be to be quiet. Hell, just meditate for half an hour if nothing else was piquing my interest.

Sometimes I see people like this in yoga classes, and I've never got what they get out of it. Like this guy Vincent who comes to all the advanced classes... so you'd think he'd be, well, advanced. And he is pretty flexible, however he doesn't really have much strength, and absolutely no form. He's one of those people who all the time is looking around, twitching nervously, rounding his back, and definitely not listening to what teachers say. He's going through the motions, but there's no connection to the breath, no grace, and in the year I've known him he hasn't improved in a single pose. On the other hand, he's a really nice guy who's always cheery and happy and chatty - but in conversations he never listens to what you say either. Obviously he gets something out of the practice as he's a regular... but damned if I know what.

Of course people have different practices, and I'm judging (yeah, that's the word) him purely based on what I see outside. It just boggles my mind that someone who's so busy outside could be peaceful inside.

You can't add any more comments, but if you wish you can email the author.