A Couple of Guinea Pigs

... who happen to be two very good friends of mine. Having talked about it for weeks, if not months, I finally got my act together and held my first (Yin) yoga class, with me as an instructor. Having not done anything like this before, it was a little nerve-wracking. And under such a circumstance, I think the golden rule is to be prepared. So, based on my own experience/studio practice, I came up with my own sequence -- just have to ensure for almost every pose there is a counter pose to keep everything balanced -- and went though that with a friend, who is a trained teacher. I'm glad most of what I came up with was fine, though my friend did made some excellent suggestions regarding the warming-up exercises at the beginning of the class.

I think one of the most challenging aspects of yoga instructing is to remember which side you have just done so to not repeat the same side twice (or else students would end up with imbalanced energy) ... and it is also quite difficult to practise and instruct at the same time, especially during the breathing exercise but I much prefer to practise with the rest of the class because that generates greater energy in the room, I think. Having candles around and soft music in the background also enhances the entire experience.

So, other than a minor cramp in the calf (mental note: maybe more warming up next time!) from one friend, all went well and I was quite exhausted yet satisfied when the class was over. My friends (and maybe more will join) are already planning for our second gathering and I hope we can keep this up on a regular basis.