Yoga Needs Patience

It has been a while since I started teaching yoga.  I saw different types of students, some agressive, some lazy, some stiff, some flexible...... I have a student who was very stiff and weak when she came to learn yoga one year ago. She told me her family has bone problem, she came to learn yoga just don't want herself unable to stand straight when she become old.  That is what she told me at the beginning.  Now she became yoga lover. She has been experiencing her body's change, became stronger, flexible, more strength.  This morning, she told me she wants tom add one more private class each week.

When I was on the way to office, I suddenly realized one thing, she never ask me to teach some more new poses, more impressive poses.  Even sometimes I want to teach her new pose, like head stand, etc, if she is not ready mentally, she will just tell me. She keeps doing those basic poses weeks after weeks.  However, from these simply pose, she has been experiencing her progress.  From each pose, she experienced the differences in terms of strength, body react, etc, from time to time.  She observes her body.  Most of students simply bring their body into the class without their mind, but they don't understand it is not doing yoga unless they practice asana with their fully concentration. She will happily tell me: "see, I can spread my right toes now", after several weeks, she tell me " see, my left toes start move", and I will tell her : "see, you can close your eyes when doing tree pose", "see you can fold forward a bit more",  we both are very happy with each progress she made. 

The thing I realized is that yoga needs patience, needs being present, love truly from heart.