Who’s the Teacher Here Again?:
How the Simple Words of a Child Just Reminded Me.
She said it so simply, yet with such gratitude that it could not go unnoticed. Volumes in a couple of lines from the wisdom of a child’s heart has blessed me again.
It was about 10 minutes into a small group class. A beautiful class, but no different than the normal, it seemed. I had a new student, and I loved that. This new lovely student was a 7 year-old girl (I later found out that she is considered as having autism and ADHD) who made a gentle exclamation that miraculously summed up the reasons I need to keep reaching the children who need this care: lesson heard.
This child was curious, delightful, and enthusiastic. She seemed to be needing the same acknowledgement and encouragement that any “typical” 7 year-old child would. She raised her hand to speak. I told her that she doesn’t ever have to raise her hand here, but she may out of habit and that’s cool too. It’s fine to just speak up whenever she needs to.
Class went on for a bit. She shared a few things while never missing a moment of the practice, and working diligently and peacefully on finding her balloon breath. It was only about 10-15 minutes into the class when she shared something that I am so glad she felt safe and free enough to just say. It was something so simple, yet so clearly from her Heart.
My quote may be a bit off, but it is very close to her words. She shared this with a tone of awe and amazement, “I have never been here before; I have never done yoga before. It’s my first time, and already I am being treated how I should be.”
… “Being treated how I should be” this part is what stood out, of course. How is it that we have created a world where it is shocking to a child to be treated “how the they should be”? She noticed, though. She noticed that she was being respected, not controlled, or conditioned to expectations and most of all “seen”. Seen as the magnificent person she is. No labels got in the way. No scripted expectations of failure. Nothing but her being her and being treated as someone to be wonderfully valued and heard.
The creation of this environment opened up an opportunity for her to teach me (the children always do when you let them). When we think we already know and limit their expression, we lose opportunities to learn from them. This is the same way we should treat people of all ages and backgrounds, all the people in our lives. This child reminded me in this simple way of why the care I offer needs to become the norm. This is what Conscious Support Method is. (CSM is my attempt naming what it means to create a safe and openly flowing environment and care for truly deep healing. It is as simple, and as profound a way of serving as this child’s words.) Seemingly so simple on the surface, but complex enough to require deep wisdom and heart connection.
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