A Bittersweet Day

I’ve been talking a bit about change lately.  That’s because I’m in the midst of change.  When something big happens in your life, it can take awhile for life to settle back down.  My big change occurred last fall when my son moved out and I became an empty-nester.  My life is still in the stage where I’m figuring out how this affects me.  I keep making small changes as I move towards what I really want.   This week I took another small step on my path.  I taught a specific yoga class for the last time.

I’ve been teaching this class for over 10 years.  I’ve gotten to know the regulars who attend.  I know what they expect in this class.  I’ve enjoyed teaching this class.

The thing is though that after my son moved out, this class just wasn’t working for me anymore.  The time that I spent on teaching this class, I needed to use towards my yoga therapy clients.  In addition,  I’ve begun leading group yoga therapy sessions and I’ve also begun mentoring new yoga therapists.  Both of those take up more of my time.  I had reached a point where I needed to make another small change.

That change came this week when I taught that class for the last time.  I’ll miss being there every week.   I’ll miss the people.  I might still see them in some of my other classes, but I might not.

So, the bitter this week is that it’s the end of something that I’ve done for over 10 years.  The sweet comes in the fact that I’ve opened up space for me to do something that I’m really looking forward to doing.

As I reflect back, what stands out to me most is the people that I’ve met over the years of teaching yoga.  I’m always connecting to new people and its those connections that keep me coming back to teach over and over again.  I value those connections greatly.

I also thoroughly enjoy teaching yoga to people who never thought that they could do any yoga.  I’m so very lucky that I’ll be able to continue to do this in the other classes that I teach.  I’ll be able to continue to help people connect to their bodies through different yoga poses.

I’m very fortunate that in yoga therapy I also get to help people make connections to their bodies that also relate to the life that they are leading.  As Michael Lee says, “What is happening to the body is happening to your life.”  The reverse is also true.  Whatever is happening in your life will show up in your body.  With my yoga therapy clients I get to take the connection to the body much deeper than I do in a yoga class.

So, what I’m really doing is just expanding on the things that I’ve been doing for the past decade.  I just have to alter my schedule a bit to do so.  It’s going to be really weird the first day that I don’t have to leave to go and teach the class.  I probably will feel like I’ve just forgotten to do something.  Letting go of that particular habit will happen without too much effort I’m sure.  My mind is already there.  I have a feeling my body will take a bit longer to realize that the new schedule is the right one.  Like many of us, I am a creature of habit.  After all, I’ve stuck with this same class for a very long time.  But, it was time.  I’m ready to grow in other directions.  It’s just a little bittersweet as I do so.

What does change look like for you?  Does your body take longer to catch up to your mind or vice versa?  Leave me a comment and let me know how you adapt to change.

If you would like to experience that deeper connection between your mind and body, then schedule a yoga therapy session with me.  I have just expanded my availability and I’m open for new clients.