She's Lost Control

Not to be out done by My Namasexual Guy, and foolishly encouraged by the studio (their foolishness to encourage me, that is), I just registered to take the Kids Yoga instructor course. In many ways this feels like a most natural progression as they need kid's instructors and I have 8 years experience teaching children and I love to do it. However, that 8 years of experience was gained teaching kids karate. 

Karate has discipline built into the program. There is order. There are push ups. You may recall that at  5'1", by 11 years old the average child is taller than me. Even by 9 many are looking me in the eye. In a gi (karate uniform) I gain about 6 inches or so of cloth to my slender frame and I use my theatre trained big girl voice to control a room. Plus push ups, did I mention the push ups?

Yoga is the antithesis (see what I did there?) to karate. It is free expression, do as you feel and all those wonderful things. Except, children feel like doing some very freaky and often dangerous things. As I prepare to embark on this journey, I think about all of the outrageous child behaviour I have had to bring under control in my years of teaching karate and I worry that when you strip away the belt, the gi and the push ups, and I am left standing with this tiny shell I inhabit, will I still be able to guide the room without my array of dojo tricks? 

Breathe