Unexpected

Unexpected, I hear that word often when I teach...yoga 's results are often so unexpected.
Today I had new students, as always there was a great deal of skepticism, fear, and trepidation.
There were mixed emotions and feelings when class was over.

Emotion is something people don't expect from a yoga class.  That emotion can run the gamut from fear, sadness, relief, pain, anger, tears, joy, laughter.  Today I saw fear and pain, sadness  and confusion.

I give a handout to new students before each class, few read it, some leave the paper lying in the floor when they leave.  The handout explains the class from beginning to end and what to expect and what can happen.

Yoga serves as a release, the movements, the breath and the relaxation at the end bring about physical and emotional changes.  New students and experienced ones are often surprised when things surface.
It doesn't happen every class, but when it does, it can be life changing.

So today as one young woman left class, she told me how much she enjoyed it, but the emotion that she felt was totally unexpected.  I told her she was not alone, that interesting and different things happen to people when they began to release old hurts, pain and emotions, that often it is things that they might not be able to express but through yoga they let go.

Yes, I told her, the unexpected can surely take place in yoga class.