4:50 pm: Uugh. Or, however "uugh" sounds when you have a nostril completely blocked. I (finally) caught my husband's cold. He had it for a week and is just starting to feel better, which apparently means it's my turn. I stayed strong but have not had a good night's sleep all week, so immunity dropped and germs attacked. I was doing well until last night when - WHAM - sore throat due to the drip. Stupid germs.
Thankfully, I only have one class to teach, and since I wasn't able to get a sub, I'm ON! The good news is that after a delicious bowl of spicy, super-garlicy Thai soup and a hot, Thieves-laden bath, I feel pretty good. In fact, by the time I got home from eating that soup for lunch, the fever I felt earlier in the day was nonexistent. Huh. Anyway, the plan is to teach (no hands-on adjustments today, kids!) and then retreat to cozy time at home.
Situations such as these always bring up an important question for yoga teachers: when are you too sick to teach? Considering that much of what we do is set an example in self-care for our students, it is important to recognize when you should really just stay home and rest. On the other hand, if you make your living from teaching, it is not easy to cancel a class and then have to explain to the cell phone company why your payment is a bit short this month.
I will admit defeat if I feel so lousy that I can't concentrate on the task at hand (which I consider to be a safety issue), if I am infectious, if it is clear that I need rest in order to regain my health, or if I am so gross that it will be disturbing to my students. My skill at using words rather than hands became well-developed during my recovery from the ectopic pregnancy this summer, so it's pretty easy to refrain from giving adjustments and further spreading the "ick". Since today I have no fever and I'm not "out of it", I'm heading out to teach.
If you're a teacher, or a student for that matter, what are your thoughts on the issue? Clearly no one wants a sneezy, drippy-nosed teacher slogging their way through class. But when your options are a slightly under-the-weather teacher or class being cancelled, which do you prefer?
9:30 pm: Hello, again. Class was a breeze and I felt really good. It's funny, but those few times when I start a class feeling not-so-great, by the end of it I'm much better. We twisted, we looked at Mr. Bones, we discussed serenity - it was lovely. By the time I got home I was more tired than usual, which was not surprising. Maybe tonight I'll get a good night's sleep...if this nostril ever clears!
Comments