Last Saturday, my yoga teacher* said in class: “You forget that I’m also a student.”

So true – we forget that teachers practiced and learned just like you and me, and now continue to learn while teaching.

This reflection took me back to exactly one year ago when I started practicing with POP UP YOGA in Herman’s Wohnzimmer on Saturdays. I attended a lot of what they call “community classes” which are given by yoga teachers in training. These classes are 90-minute sessions offered at half price (15 CHF!) with class sizes between 6-15 participants (from my experience).

While all aspiring teachers are trained to lead vinyasa classes, you can imagine that each has their own style and the Saturday class is “a mixed bag”. In my eyes, a mixed goodie bag 🙂 … of sun salutations, deeper poses, workshop-style sections, all accompanied by pop beats.

I often observed the aspiring teachers overcome their excitement and anxiety, invest extra effort and care to align their students, and even give a soothing head massage at the end of the class. To me, it was a lesson in openness and acceptance – it was never “my usual Saturday yoga” but always a new assortment of “yoga-goodies” waiting to be sampled.

Last week I was in touch with Deddou from POP UP YOGA and remembered the community classes I went to regularly last year. There’s still some sessions until December 1, and I’d advise everyone to give them a shot and support a new generation of yoga teachers!

Who knows: maybe YOU or your friends will be on the front mat next year?
The Vinyasa Flow Training starts in January, and in May the community classes return – I’m already eager to practice and learn from new teachers!
“Man lernt nie aus.” – “You live, you learn.”

Notes:
* YES, that teacher was Olive of Yogalives, and NO, this is not a sponsored post, and YES, I am her new biggest fan =))

Check out below some pics from Herman’s Wohnzimmer, an elegant yet unpretentious hotel-restaurant-cafe-yoga-studio ♥