One of the greatest gifts of teaching little yogi beans has been the opportunity to consistently meet new children. I am often amazed by children’s unique personalities, and find myself learning from them all the time. They teach me to be open to new ideas and remind me to stay in the present moment.
I try to begin each class in a calm and open state of mind. There have been times when the bus took too long or the train was delayed, and I had to rush to get to a class. These were opportunities for me to practice remaining present. Before I began teaching, I consciously slowed down my breathing and reminded myself that the stress of getting to class was over and now it was time to be in the moment.
Although I like to write out a lesson plan for each class, I find that I very rarely follow it completely. Being open and receptive to the children’s energy each day allows them to contribute to the class and makes for a much more rewarding experience for everyone. There are times when I find myself spontaneously leading a fun new activity based on the children’s creativity. For example, this week one student suggested that we do a “Yoga Scavenger Hunt”. It turned out to be a fun way to mindfully search for different props and practice our poses. Being present with the children allowed this exciting new idea to surface.
Children are so intuitive and aware, and working with them each day allows me to deepen my yoga practice. If I ever get off track and find myself worrying about the past or fearing the future, I can be certain a little bean will remind me that “the now” is what’s important!
