Balasana.
I go there every morning as I crawl onto my yoga mat at 6am.
I invite students to find comfort in balasana at the beginning of class,
often talking about ahimsa as they nestle down to their safe place.
So, last night at the end of beginners yoga, a new student asked me
about childs pose. She told me she couldn't get comfortable in it at all.
Too quickly I responded, I thought so. I told her it seemed from her heart
to her head it was too much. She nodded and said, "yeh."
She told me she felt "claustrophobic, it's all a mental thing."
She tried all the options I gave, but she didn't like it.
She wanted to know what she could do to find it more relaxing.
I told her that I would think about it and in next weeks class we could
try something else, but at least she knows what to work towards.
Sarcastically she said, "claustrophobia" and smiled--but I felt like a
less than adequate teacher at that moment.
And what made it worse (in my eyes) that she talked loudly about it in front of her friend, who was also new, that couldn't get comfortable in balasana either because of foot surgery she had years ago. She didn't talk to me about it in great detail, but when I saw her struggling to get her feet comfy and I quietly approached her, she explained she had scars that still hurt.
So here I had two new yogi's who didn't like to be in a position I've rarely considered
--ever. Blessings to them for bringing this into my mind, but goodness this is
something new.
I will step on my mat, huddle down and consider something other than
childs pose.
Om.
