I definitely feel like I handled it okay, but I wanted to share w/ other yoga teachers and get some insight....

Last night I was teaching my restorative yoga series and one of my students (who has been coming to my classes for 3 years and has done privates w/ me) was definitely not in a good place. I could sense it when she first came in. We were all getting into chair supported shoulderstand and something happened. She's been dealing a lot with more physical ailments--bunions, back and shoulder issues/pain--these days. So, of course, I had my back turned to her as I was assisting someone else and then I found her on the floor, sitting and crying holding her foot. all I did was go over to her and put my hand on her back and asked what's coming up. I was very discrete b/c I didn't want to draw attention on her. She said it was the bunions in her foot. I then said there must be a lot going on. But she kept directing it to her foot. I suggested she do viparita karani (legs up the wall). she stayed for about 2 min and then kindly told me she wanted to go home. I didn't argue, of course, since it was right in the middle of the class and I shouldn't ignore my other students and it was what she wanted to do.

My heart goes out to people when things like that happen in yoga class (or anywhere or that matter) because I've been there. things get so overwhelming at times, it's totally okay to cry, but I know it's hard for some and they may get embarrassed or scared. Emotions are our body's alarm system. They tell us that something's going on within ourselves. We get triggered by things all the time and may or may not be consciously aware of it. When you're not, you feel like shit.

I'm going to call my student later today and just check in with her.

Thanks for letting me share,
-Liz