Goodbye

I have said goodbye thousands of times in the past five years......it is the nature of my job.

It is the most difficult part of the job. Most of my students I meet are at what is often the lowest point of their lives and yoga is not is not high on the list of things that they want to do. They walk in to my classroom sad, lonely, and in pain. Lives are in turmoil, many may lose their job, family, the life they thought they would have for always. Yoga seems like the last thing they would ever need.

I try to fill my class room with love and peacefulness. I tailor the classes to fit the group as much as I can. Many times lesson plans are tossed out as students come in the door and I sense their energies. I have learned to fly by the seat of my pants....to fill a need, not just teach a class.

Saying hello is easy, welcoming with love is easy, sharing my love of yoga and my knowledge of breath work and meditation is easy. Listening and caring is easy. Seeing a true smile of joy break across someone's face for the first time is delightful! Getting hugs is a bonus. Hearing how yoga has become a tool in recovery is wonderful.

Saying goodbye, that is the hard part. Someone's last class can be quite emotional, tearful, sad, and yet hopeful and happy. I try to always make the student's last class as good as I possibly can.......make it special, tell them what they have meant to me, how important their presence in class has been. We close the class with a prayer for their peace and many hugs. It is rebirth for them, a new life, a second chance. It is exciting and scary.......it is one door closing and another opening. Often I wonder how they are doing, how their lives are, if yoga still plays any part at all.

Anytime in life that you say goodbye can be tough, I say it weekly. I have learned.......to love and let go. I say goodbye......they say hello to a new life. .....often after I hear them walk down the hall , my tears fall......it's ok, my goodbye is their send off to a better life.