First, just know that things will rarely turn out exactly like you expect them to - yet we continue to have and hold expectations anyway, don't we?
I walked into Wichita's Temple Emanu-el 20 minutes early, having come all the way from my camper at Marion Lake to give a free "introduction to yoga" class. It was the start of the Jewish Community Adult Education classes and I had brought a 30 minute "Yoga for the Office" class I have previously given.
The two women who greeted me were all smiles, thanked me and seemed excited that I was there (before shaking my hand, they both clapped!). I quipped "everyone should be greeted this way when they first meet someone!"
They showed me to the library where the tables and chairs had already been pushed aside.
Now a word about books (and precocious young girls who read a lot). When I enter a library, the little bookworm inside of me does a little jig and sings "goody, goody, goody" as she contemplates having a month of solitary confinement with which to read them all. :)
After shaking hands with the rabbi, who stopped in to introduce himself, answer my question about why the posters and historical documents on the wall spelled G_d that way (the name is so holy that you are not supposed to put it on paper or things that may be defaced, damaged or thrown away), I was left alone to wait for the "students".
There were three choices for the adults this day (and I wondered how yoga would rate when I saw them listed on the large poster in the entry):
From the congregation bulletin: http://www.emanuelict.org/emanu_bulletin.htm
"David, our guest speaker, will be talking about building community and our new program. We are also offering Yoga, as well as a traditional Torah Study led by Federation Director, Rabbi Moti Rieber."
Would anyone show up I wondered?
In the library, I had time to move a chair or two and test the light switches for just the right lighting. Then, I stood in front of the shelves quietly perusing the titles, some from famous Jews who's names I recognized. A large volume about the Holocaust caught my eye and I took it down and flipped to a couple of pages.
Just then, 'Abby' came in to look at the rack of children's books free for the taking. She was so talkative, just a-mile-a-minute. She told me about her reading program, the 25 books they were to read, and indignantly said "I can read a lot more than 25 books this year!" Her friend came in and whisked her off to the children's classrooms. She so reminded me of me. I read all the time as a child. Libraries were "cool".
I stood alone again in the quiet library while parents made their way down the halls to their assigned or chosen rooms for the morning sessions. A parent, convincing an upset child that they would be fine, daddy would be right across the hall, not to worry.....a mother walking by, towing a small boy looked up and we smiled at each other. I heard her say "that must be the yoga teacher, she has that 'yoga body'", - - -oh for cryin' out loud I thought, this was getting surreal.
As the clock ticked past our start time, I looked at a stack of magazines, picked up the one on top, and found a great quote by Eleanor Roosevelt -something about embracing new experiences...and then in the same magazine (the summer 2008 issue) - right in the middle, an article about Jewish women and yoga.... ok....a sign. A good sign....
http://www.jwmag.org/site/c.fhLOK0PGLsF/b.4193323/
Still, no students -10 minutes after our start time for the short 30 minute class.....yet I knew that things would be just fine. I was not nervous but open, no expectations, I let them all go.
Then they came. Of the dozen adults who came late to the library (apologizing), 8 had practiced yoga before. I joked that i would "give them the history and practice of yoga in 18 minutes..." :)
It was fine. It was fun. And if I want to use the library....I am welcome to! Here's hoping everyone comes back in October for the "real" thing!
Namaste, Cindy
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