Practice.

Robin gave us an interesting exercise to take home today. We are supposed to identify which of the five types of vrttis (correct knowledge, incorrect knowledge, conceptualization, sleep, memory) we are displaying at various points during the day. During class, I was playing around with this idea. When I was asked to teach in front of three of my peers, I was able to use this tool to step back and look at what I was feeling instead of just feeling it. I was conceptualizing about the experience I was about to have because of my perceived incorrect knowledge. That's a pattern that is not exclusive to teaching in front of my peers. I lose out on many experiences because I'm too nervous or scared to deal with them.

I'm missing out! The experience I had teaching today was actually really educational. I got a lot more out of it than if I was listening to Robin tell us how to teach. That is because the best way of attaining correct knowlege is through direct experience. Today's direct experience taught me a few things that I need to work on with my teaching:

I have to hone in on my languaging, particularly regarding parts of my own body that I tend to ignore.
My verbs need nouns. Stretch... what? Your arms.
Stabilize the low back with the exhale.
Know your practice and do your practice.

The practice I taught today started with chakravkasana, moved onto a kneeling lunge--first just breathing arms up and down, then drawing the back foot up towards the the low back to provide a fuller superficial front line stretch--then had then come up into warrior I with arms extended upwards. The focus of the practice was dancer's pose, which we held for four breaths on each side. Then came uttansansa, which was an excellent counterpose, then apanasana. My students loved the sequence, it was just that I forgot to tell them to stabilize their low backs and didn't exactly talk them through the experience in a descriptive fashion. All in all though, it was a good experience and I did a decent job teaching them. The downfalls of my style were certainly drawbacks, but it seemed like everyone had a good experience. The sequence helped a lot with that. It was a very safe way to approach the pose so even though Ellen hung in her low back, she was able to stretch it out before svasana and therefore avoided any discomfort.

So all in all, it was a good day. Right now I feel fulfilled because I am coming closer to having correct knowledge about teaching. I don't think I've felt this able to have the answers in a long time.