This post is contributed by Anika Adams. Anika is a shining light and a nature queen. Her presence in the studio exudes leadership, community building and lightheartedness. Thank you, Anika, for sharing your words, your wisdom and your laughter.
Some words of gratitude for my yoga students…
“Anika! Welcome home!” exclaimed one of my students recently. I had been out of the studio for a few weeks. “I missed you terribly. How was your honeymoon?” This student, who recently turned 80, is a regular in my Sunday Vinyasa class. On Sundays I make sure to arrive a bit early, just in case he shows up and would like some extra time to warm up beforehand. He in turn makes sure to thank me at the end of each class, often mentioning specific moments that he especially enjoyed.
Like so many of my students, we have become friends. Though we rarely see each other outside of the studio, over time we have come to know each other pretty well. It’s not often that I make friends that are twice my age, and I appreciate this unique opportunity to do so.
He and I and five other students had a lovely yoga practice that day. As he rolled up his mat, he let me know his favorite parts of the class. I was reminded, as I often am, just how appreciative I am for the community that makes up Grateful Yoga.
The first yoga class I ever taught was in 2015. I was subbing for an excellent teacher named Annie who had a 7:15 pm slot on the Grateful Yoga schedule. I was definitely nervous. Would students be disappointed to have a class with me rather than Annie? In preparation, I had written down the entire sequence of poses I was planning to lead, and I practiced my whole class to myself multiple times. Three students showed up that night. Was it a good class? To be honest, I can’t remember. I do remember that those three students were incredibly supportive. They went out of their way to shower me in appreciation and encourage me to keep teaching. Best of all, they continued to come to my classes moving forward.
Over time, I slowly built confidence and came into my stride. I have my students to thank for that as well. The ones who brought me Christmas cards, the ones who gently teased me when I mis-cued a sequence, the ones who told me that I was getting better with each class… I am so thankful for them.
Fast forward to today: I’ve taught hundreds of classes at this point. My sequences come naturally to me now (no need to write down every sequence beforehand). I have grown into the role of a teacher trainer, which is such an honor for me. (This deserves a blog post in itself. Working with the trainees is beyond fantastic.) I am, without exception, always stoked to arrive on my mat and be with my students.
Being a yoga teacher is awesome. One of the sweetest things in my life. Thank you, again and again to those students who have become my support network just as much as I strive to become part of theirs. It’s been great to practice and grow with each and every one of them. We’re lucky to have each other.
You can find Anika teaching in the studio each week:
Sunday mornings 10-11:30 am Vinyasa
and Thursday evenings 5:40-7 pm Vinyasa followed by 7:15-8:15 pm Yin … yummy!
Our teacher training program meets once per month in the studio on weekends. To learn more or see the monthly schedule CLICK HERE
Live footage of Anika (and some of our YTT community!) in action.