First Classes

What is it about 1st classes?  After teaching for more than 20 years I still get nervous when I teach a first class anywhere.

I arrived early at EPF to get set up for my first Pilates Mat class back in the US after, as Debra likes to call it, my 3 year vacation in Shanghai.  I always think first things first.  Get the stereo set up, then my mat and then I’m ready to greet the students.  As I was playing around with the stereo I heard the front door open and "WAYNE!!!!!"  Debra arrived and ran over to me, all huggy kissy, kissy huggy.  I said , “Ok, ok, ok!! I gotta get set up!”  She said she was just so happy to have me back in the States and was there anything she could do for me to help prepare [that’s what all EPF Instructors say when they take a class to help out the Instructor].  As I delegated the Swiffer and lights to Debra I had to admit it was great to be back and WOW what a welcome.  I also knew that she probably wanted to see me in action once again, just to make sure I was up to EPF standards…

As I was looking for ‘just the right music’ for my first class I hear: "WAYNE!!!!!  It’s so great to see you!!!!!"  And Barbara came running over to hug me and say hello.  As I was looking at her for the first time in 3 years I had forgotten how much Energy she has!  She was talking about missing my yoga classes, my spirit, my sense of humor and out of the corner of my eye I started to notice how her beautiful red curly hair was sort of pulsing with her emotions mirroring her points of emphasis.  No I thought; I must still be jet lagged… what am I saying?  But as I was listening to her… there it was; an exclamation point in her sentence perfectly coincided with yes a pulse in her hair!  There it was again!  I thought to myself, why had I never noticed that before.  She finished with I know you must be overwhelmed and what could she do to help me get ready?  The mirrors I said; even when no one touched them Debra was always a stickler saying “Clean the Mirrors!!!!”  and she off ran [with hair pulsing!!!!!] for Windex and paper towels.  As I was scrolling through playlists I thought OMG she teaches Pilates!!!  She’s going to be watching my every move and word I say and my hair is certainly not going to pulse like hers…

I finally got a playlist selected and as I was adjusting the volume I heard "WAYNE!!!!!"  And in walked Julie the EPF Medical Director; of course she was 'done' flawlessly, as she always is.  As she sashayed over to me I thought that’s right, Julie never runs; must be her Medical School training .  I remembered how she always says if you take more than 5 minutes to get ready your taking too much time; but as I gave her a quick once over I laughed to myself and thought there is no way she pulled that together in 5 minutes…  Her beautiful hair was down and subtly wind blown… 'subtly'.  Her Lululemon out fit was straight off the rack with not a single pill in a brilliant lavender.  As she sauntered toward me she took off her Prada sunglassses like Miranda Priestly and gave me a much more business appropriate hug.  You could always count on Julie to let her bedside manner come through.  As she welcomed me back and took off her light jacket I noticed her stethoscope and smiled to myself.  Where did she ever get one with such a long cord I’ll never know; I did a double take and saw YSL etched in the chrome.  As always she had it tastefully draped around her neck, multiple times like Chanel necklaces.  As she set up her mat I noticed how she took it off and coiled it on the floor near her mat; just in case...

Finally everything was ready, I looked at the clock and it was time to start.  I started with "Good Morning and Welcome to Mat Pilates Class!"

I was taken back to the first class I taught for my Yoga Teachers Training Final Exam in June of 1991.  After studying and practicing for months, this was it.  I had 2 Swamis sitting in lotus watching me with clip boards and red pencils in hand; I had my yoga buddy Elaine sitting opposite me who was going to be my student.  As I started the class with “Welcome to Integral Yoga”, I knew I was in the perfect place, doing the perfect thing.  All it took was for me was to say that first sentence and all the stress and worry was gone because I was at peace knowing I was exactly where I should be.

As I finished the Mat class I smiled to myself and thought so why do I get nervous…

Wayne