In the summer of 2019, I was at a crossroads and unsure of my place within the Yoga community. At the time, the Yoga community was plagued with abuse scandals and I had grown disillusioned with many of the narratives being put forth by my teachers and peers. Luckily I had a moment in a Yoga Teacher training at Mind Body Solutions in Minnesota that was pivotal in helping me regain my footing.
Sometime in the middle of the workshop, our teacher Matthew Sanford challenged us with the opportunity to work with one of his students for a few hours on something specific. My group’s task was to work with breathing and our student/teacher was Sammy. Sammy is a long time student of Matthew and is quadriplegic. Yoga-type breath work for Sammy can be challenging because her neck and jaw muscles control most of her voluntary breathing.
Let me pause and say that I absolutely L.O.V.E. teaching breath. I think some of the struggles I’ve had in my own body and my experience as a singer definitely inform how I approach and teach breathing. So I was very excited for this challenge. I was also just happy to work with Sammy. In all of my trips up to Minnesota, we had never had the opportunity to work together. She beams and at that time I desperately needed light.
We lifted Sammy out of her chair and placed her on a mat with her upper body elevated by blocks and a bolster. I suggested that we start by massaging her jaw and neck. As one of my fellow teachers began the massage, I asked Sammy to yawn. This is something I do often with my voice students. When we yawn our neck muscles stretch and our soft palate lifts. What I hoped was that we might create relief in Sammy’s neck and jaw, but what I noticed was her breath traveled deep into her belly—something that she has a hard time doing on her own. I asked Sammy if she noticed that and she smiled a big smile and said “Yes.” Bingo, we have a connection. One of my peers said, “I’m just gonna step back and support this.”
So yawning became our breath practice. The other teachers lead her through some twists and different shapes and on occasion I would place my hand on her ribs or belly etc. and ask her to yawn and notice the breath traveling deep into her body. It was magical. She told me after, “I will definitely include yawning in my practice from now on.”
What this experience taught me is that having a specialized lens is good, but it can also be limiting. You need to be able to pan out and see the big picture. Your techniques are only good if they serve the student. I don’t claim to be a master teacher by any stretch, but I am damn good at paying attention to my students. Compassion and curiosity are my guides. If I had only showed up with my Yoga breathing toolbox, I most certainly would’ve missed this and Sammy would have too.
I almost didn’t make my annual trip Minnesota that year. It took a lot to get me on the plane and I’m thankful to my peers for keeping me grounded that week. But most of all, I’m grateful for Sammy. Sammy, thank you for being a wonderful teacher. This moment with you is one of my most cherished memories and is the most pivotal in my teaching journey—you shined a light on the path and kept my feet moving. I don’t believe I’d be teaching right now if it weren’t for you. I’m forever indebted!