when your mind and your mouth don't communicate

I know that in my single year of teaching yoga, I have had quite a bit of opportunities where I have completely perplexed those attending my class.

This past weekend, I was taking a yoga class with the very talented and Shiva Rea-trained Coral Brown, and she had the same experience. Well, kind of the same experience. To her benefit, she just confused us, but her mouth and mind were connected. It was awesome. We were doing this really interesting circular flowing sequence that included a side lunge, then you walked over the other foot and turned your body until your original back foot is on its side and you're kind of turned to the back of the room....see? I can't even describe it. Anywho, it ended up being a really funny and authentic moment. A dripping, sweaty class full of 25ish people and we're all like "what the hell...? am I doing this right?" She just went with the flow, saying we all got the general idea, and saying that's what her goal was: to confuse all of us.

It happens all the time to me. When I'm teaching, my mouth can just suddenly take off. I mean to say one word, and another escapes my lips. It's pretty entertaining to me, having a bunch of people look at you like you are absolutely nuts. "You want me to do whaaa with my leg?"
Sometimes I just confuse myself. Don't we all?

I like being in moments like these because it usually produces a smile from someone. I smile because it's...well...embarrassing (and humbling), but I'm okay with it if it makes somebody else smile. I'm not nearly close to being perfect, and even if a class full of people get to witness that fact in action, I'm okay with it. I believe that yoga doesn't have to be quite so serious, and I try not to practice or teach anything that will make people too stone-faced (well, okay, I understand that plank pose isn't the most fun place to be).

Next time your shoulders are feelin' the burn in down dog (or if you're just havin' a sad sally day), turn the corners of your mouth just slightly upwards (see where it grows...). It will soften the rest of the muscles of your face, and even if you're beginning to feel any inkling of resentment or disdain, you might be able to trick your brain into thinking you're happy and release some endorphins.

Heh. Cats doing yoga.