Tina wrote this for us:
It is so good to switch places and the teacher to be a student. Two common weekend activities where I can lay down my teacher personality and just relish the student experience are church and yoga.
In church, when it is really cooking, you are brought out of yourself into a community, you feel the importance of ritual, and knowing the flow of the experience, and how that builds community, sharing that expectation, that ritual. You feel that you belong to something bigger than yourself. But what is your role, mostly? Listening, comprehending. You sit and listen, and respond with your voice, and the group listening creates community and belonging and inspiration.
In yoga, when it is really cooking, you also feel that shared listening and community. But you also, if it is really, really cooking, get personal attention from the teacher. I went to yoga today and the teacher said my name like five times because it was the intermediate class and so 1. it is small and 2. I kinda suck at it because it is new stuff for me. I realized that there is no sweeter moment in class than when your teacher gives you attention. Especially if they notice you trying something, trying hard, and then in that moment you get their attention and they say, “ beautiful Tina” or “ you’re getting it Tina” or “ little higher Tina” then it is all worth it and you feel like you would have tried ten times harder!
We need to create both community ritual based on group listening, like church, and noticing kids on a personal level and giving them moments to feel acknowledged for their mighty efforts at the rigorous work of listening, like yoga!
Will this make every weekday feel like a church-n’-yoga Sunday? Maybe not. But these Sunday thoughts are in my Monday morning head.