On Sunday as we went through Chair Pose (Utkatasana) I saw that Sunday was holding her neck and shoulders funny.  Funny, as in awkward.  I said the usual, “Drop your shoulders.” But I could see that Sunday’s shoulders were fine.  It was her neck that was out of kilter.

“Let’s get your neck aligned with your back.”  I said.  I kept us in Utkatasana while I spoke.  “Feel the angle of your spine and bring the back of your neck along the same angle.  Your neck is an extension of your spine here.”  Sunday lowered her chin, “Oh!”

These ah-ha moment are great!  Sunday’s shoulders came down naturally, all by themselves and I could see how much more comfortable Sunday was for adjusting her neck.

We came and went in and out of Chair pose two more time.  Sunday let me know each time, “This is so much nicer.” And “See, that’s why I like doing yoga with you.”  I was allowing myself to fill up just fine with all the praise.  My ego feels good for doing yoga with Sunday.

For the rest of our time together – during flying warrior, triangle pose, side angle – all through our standing poses I stayed focused on the alignment of Sunday’s neck.  I found myself stumbling over myself, iterating and re-iterating the balance and alignment of her neck for every pose.  I had found my focus, but was undercutting Sunday’s focus?

As I went to bed last night I came across the Dharma talk from Seanne Corn in February 2017 – “Get out of the way of your students.  They will have aha moments.  Those are for the students, not for you.  Get out of the way.”

I can only hope, after reading that in my notes, that Sunday has another aha moment soon so that I can practice, this time, staying out of the way.