Street Yoga, Day 2

Another truly fantastic, long and full day of Street Yoga teacher training. By the time we disbanded at 3:30 pm I was brimming with the good energy of my classmates, and it seems as though the weight of the entire day has been carried through on that wave of exuberance. I received a call from my landlord earlier today with the news that I don't have to move on May 1st, which puts an end to a rather stressful housing search. I also learned that I might have landed a much desired job as a reporter's assistant. It's possible that this announcement is a big jinx, but I'll take my chances. I have a good feeling. And, the weather is better everyday, and my spring cleanse is definitely improving my mental, emotional, and physical clarity.

Back to Street Yoga:

We began with a 30 minute yoga session designed for high-energy teenagers. The volunteer teachers were isolated from the rest of the group while we were given fairly specific instructions on how to make the class nearly impossible to teach by playing various adolescent roles: gossipers, hecklers, restless wanderers, eye-rollers, etc. Although I was too shy to take on a particular part in the chaos, nearly all of my attempts to pay attention were thwarted by my constant laughter. We went on to discuss poses and sequences that would help nearly any group of underserved, underprivileged youth feel safe and respected. This exercise required intensive consideration: we had to examine how certain poses could possibly cause students to feel vulnerable or threatened. I found this to be challenging, since there are numerous poses which I would imagine to be empowering and uplifting for those who have been disempowered, disenfranchised, and dehumanized, and yet many of those poses are not appropriate for individuals who have endured physical, emotional, and/or psychological trauma. 

After lunch, we experimented with a 15 minute yoga session for low-energy teenagers: young folks who are depressed, bored, anxious, detached, recovering from substance/alcohol use the night before, or currently using some kind of depressant. Somehow this class turned into a raucous carnival, as well, even though the scenario was supposed to demonstrate the opposite  circumstance of the morning's high-energy class. It was after that class that we really got to the challenges inherent in this scenario: how to respond to those who are withdrawn or disruptive, and how to respond to those who are trying in earnest to experience what the teacher has to offer. The entire day was a thorough and extremely informative process of putting theory into pseudo-action, spiked with theater games and movement play.

It's nearly 9 pm and I'm still buzzing.