Laughter and Saturday morning yoga

We laughed today. Quite often. Contrary to the general notion of yoga being an ultra-serious, touchy-feely endeavor, yoga is fun.

Much, but not all, of the laughter took place before we started class, as students were coming into the studio and getting organized. Putting down mats, gathering blankets and blocks and straps, settling in, chatting with a neighbor. Mostly Thanksgiving talk. Much discussion about how to unfreeze a pie for Thanksgiving dinner today. Comparisons of who's doing the cooking. Admission that the non-cook for Thanksgiving dinner can escape doing the dishes by a pathetic demonstration of being very relaxed after dinner (okay, that's me.)

One of the things that I enjoy most about teaching is my students. They are a welcoming bunch. They take a newcomer into the group immediately. There's no hierarchy, no cliques, as far as I can tell, and I think that I would notice. Tenured folks introduce themselves to a first timer. Conversation is as likely to happen between strangers as between friends. And that's rare. I'm still searching for a religious institution that would be as welcoming and warm as the yoga studio where I teach.

At the end of class I thanked my students. I am grateful to be a teacher and honored to have the opportunity to teach them.