High School Math Class Syndrome

From what I recall of high school, few students longed for seats in the front of the room. In those “hot” seats, your teacher might notice that rather than hanging on his every word, you spent class doodling, passing notes, daydreaming, or finishing up your homework. On the first day of class, my classmates rushed to claim seats in the back of the room, hoping these would be their designated seats rather than some less desirable location assigned at the teacher’s discretion. This was particularly noticeable in some of the less glamorous classes, like physics and math.

Entry into yoga studio at the beginning of class reminds me of this frantic grab for those coveted back row seats. Students rush to lay their mat at the back of the studio or on the sides. I even see people who are so set in their yoga ways that they scramble for relatively the same location during every class. I’ve seen several students rush in practically knocking over the departing students from the previous classes as if their ability to do yoga for the evening was at stake. I’ve dubbed this yoga land grab, “high school math class syndrome.”

Sadly, I noticed that I too have found a routine spot at my most frequented studio. My favorite place is in the back and to the left of the center, but I have no idea why I developed this habit. So this week I decided to buck the high school math class trend. Tuesday, I plopped my mat down on the right side and found the change of yoga scenery to be anti-climatic but good. Next week, I plan to get even more daring and do my yoga in the front of the studio. I really think an important part of yoga is about embracing changes. One day I may even show up a little late (gasp!) just to see what it is like to practice in the last space remaining after all other students have claimed a spot.

Stay tuned for next time…