This weekend I took on a challenge that not only changed my yoga career, but it also changed the lives of many other people. I taught a yoga class to 11 men on Saturday at my gym and it was the most amazing experience for everyone involved.
There seems to be a taboo about men doing yoga in Costa Rica, because it is thought of as a woman's activity. Thus, I feel this breakthrough "men only" class broke that traditional belief and opened those men's minds to a genuine respect for yoga.
Every single man that came was a serious weight lifter. Most of them were the gym instructors. It was incredible to see those thick men trying to stetch and calm their minds through breath control.
Jimmy even came and he gave the me most helpful constructive feedback after the class about my teaching methods and my Spanish. He was the most advanced, flexible and composed student in the class. The other students looked to him as an example.
I gave an intense class to those 11 men, flowing quickly through a wide variety of postures. By the second posture, most of them were shaking and already sweating heavily. I gave them the hardest class I thought they could handle and even offered them some of the advanced poses to try, so they could see that muscle strength does not allow them to do anything. Through fast sequences, they experiences a bit of cardio and breathing techniques. Through balancing poses, they understood the concept of focusing. Through flexibility poses, they rediscovered many forgotten muscle groups. Through relaxation poses, they learned about meditation.
The class was a total success. Afterwards they all looked at me with a different gleam in their eye and they clapped their hands strongly in a directed applause to me. Most of them came up to me after class to tell me about their reflections and share their experiences, and I listened to their personal transformations with a huge smile of ackomplishment. I was inspired by them, because I showed them the power of yoga and they realized the instensity of yoga. Many of them want to have more classes and all of the gym instructors want to send their trainies to my classes.
Awhile after the class, I talked to the owner of the gym and she said all of the men had told her the highest praises about my class. She offered my congratulations and opened up her gym to my disposal to give as many yoga classes as I want. The owner expressed her strong desire for me to give more yoga classes because she realizes how extrodinadory they are for everyone who attends them, both on a physical and spiritual level.
I think that class was a landmark in my yoga teacher carrer because I opened up yoga to a new clientel and because I learned so much from those male students. I learned how to challenge them, while at the same time offering compassion so they actully would listen to their body. I learned how to direct them in meditation, being that it was the first time for most of them. I learned how to relate yoga postures to weight lifting and spinning classes. I learned how to stretch the little muscle groups that are often overlooked by many gym members. I learned to look for the student's needs and respond.
Hurray!
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