In class this week I’ve had students apologise for being stiff! It’s very sweet of them, but completely unnecessary! It has made me think about who I’d rather teach- a room full of bendy people who seem to be able to do everything or the average person ?
The analogy I used is that sometimes I see the body like a lump of clay that needs to be fashioned into a vase- would you rather try to add a little water to the mix to make it workable or try and work with a big wet soggy lump running through your fingers?
I’m sorry if that sounds unkind- but personally I’d much rather have students that struggle, mindfully, week by week and make gradual improvement. Especially if the alternative is someone over-extending to the point of injury. Sometimes it can be hard to teach the hyper mobile when they themselves believe that extreme movement is the final aim of yoga. Staying with the vase analogy… ‘it is hard to fill a vessel that is already full’…..
