My strength is my smile. I try to bring warmth and good cheer to my students in an effort to brighten their day, but I realize that all is not “Simon Says” and frivolity. A number of my students are heavily medicated, making them drowsy and liable to carrying around unwanted pounds. Others are suffering from chronic pain. This week two students decided to lie down during the centering and fell asleep for a good portion of the class. Finding a safe place to relax when one is an inmate or living in a shelter is challenging, so I was touched that their classmates were so considerate.

This morning one of these students announced that he was in so much pain that he felt that his emotions were on edge. If anyone bothered him he was afraid he might have a violent response. I glanced at my lesson plan and wasn’t sure what would calm his screaming nerves, so we spoke about the principle of Ahimsa, or non-harming. I encouraged him to notice how everything in the class felt for him and to pick and choose only those experiences that felt pleasant. We began meditating on triangles while seated in chairs, but he wanted to sit on the floor. The other students joined him. After a short time he began to squirm and I encouraged him to lie down on his jacket. I am not teaching in a studio. The classroom in the veterans center has chairs, a table, and a scarred, old wood floor. There is no place to store mats, so we generally sit on chairs or do standing postures in our socks. Almost immediately he fell asleep and was completely unfazed by the noises of the rest of the class continuing. When he awoke the tension in his body had softened and he joined the others in a few gentle stretches. The yoga session had met his needs and he felt much better than when he had arrived.

There is no magic bullet for pain, but a feeling of safety seems to be critical. Time and again when I encourage hospital patients or other students to notice what they feel, to breathe, and to make the adjustments that their body seems to be calling for, they find their own way. I may offer some simple repetitive postures to explore their range of motion and comfort zones, but the student takes ownership of the practice. When we practice compassion together I have faith that healing will occur.

Did you notice that I included a Simon Says warm-up in the triangles? This is a spirited game and was a way to experiment with the different ways our bodies hinge into angles that can make triangles. This is also an easy game to customize for different groups of students. Imagine my surprise and delight when the half time show Tuesday night at the game was Simon Says! A professional caller brought volunteers from the student section out onto the court for a speedy and hilarious round, awarding the two finalists with t-shirts. I was astonished by how easily the contestants followed a quick directive that lacked the “Simon Says”. Ideally, a meditative yoga practice helps us create an awareness of the process of making a decision so we don’t leap before we look (or listen in the case of Simon Says). How many times in our days do we impulsively say or do something without pausing to think first? Terry, my husband, asked if I’d videoed the event. I was too swept away by the moment to consider filming with my cell phone. I’m pleased to note that I’m not always planning for his blog!

Oh, and our girls won! I love watching nimble little. She energized her team right up to the final buzzer and sank the final bucket herself. Geno’s team must practice focus and relaxation as they make the sport look so easy. When they are in the zone, I feel that I am watching a yoga flow. The girls are focused on the present moment. Their intensity seems to remain constant whether they are a few points ahead or winning by a landslide, yet their passes and plays are not forced. The Sanskrit word, Sukha, seems an apt description of the sweetness and ease of this state of relaxed concentration. Do you have moments when you lose track of time and you feel clear headed and lucid? Multi-tasking takes me out of the zone. How do you feel when you slow down and focus on a single activity at a time?