|
 TEACHING
THROUGH A NATIONAL TRAGEDY
By Mark Grevelding
As my thoughts turned to writing this month's column, I felt the
need to put the dimmer switch on "light-heartedness," and opted
instead for an article more reflective of the times. I knew I
could still write a story about the life of instructors, but that
life suddenly became very different during those dark days after
September 11th. This is a story about how we coped, what we did,
what we said, how we comforted, how we inspired, and how we re-defined
our role as instructors.
Driving to the club on the morning of September 12th, I was an
emotional wreck. Arriving at the gym, I was dismayed to see a
packed classroom. I had secretly hoped no one would show up for
my step class. Honestly, I think I was resentful for being forced
away from the TV and my numbing paralysis. I gave a speech before
class and told them I wasn't sure I could do this and I saw a
few faces fall.
Halfway through class, you could sense a palpable release of stress,
and even though I toned down my normally atomic energy and refrained
from any joyful antics, I did find myself encouraging their efforts.
To my surprise, I found myself telling them that this was their
hour and that they deserved a break from the horrors on the TV.
I suspect I was trying to convince myself as well. After a silent
and reflective stretch to soothing music, I thanked them all for
showing up and I also thanked them for helping ME feel better.
Several people came up after class and told me that the only reason
they had showed up was because they knew I would take away their
pain for an hour. They had counted on me. Driving home, I felt
incredibly proud.
I knew that there had to be countless other stories like mine.
I wanted to hear how other instructor's held up and what they
said or did in their classes. I asked Australian presenter Greg
Keyes for help in putting me in touch with instructors from around
the world. Thanks Greg, the response from instructors was overwhelming.
I'd like to share some of their stories.
In an aerobic studio in Simi Valley, California, instructor Adrea
Gibbs struggled to keep her yoga classes focused, as a bank of
televisions projected haunting images of destruction on the windows
of the studio. She ended one of her yoga classes with a meditation
that sought to remind her students of their individual strength
and power. "I encouraged them to find that power and strength
for themselves, their families, and our country," says Gibbs.
She said many of the participants sobbed their way through the
meditation, only to thank her at the end for giving them some
vision and clarity.
In a pool near Charlotte, Tennessee, Barb Batson instructed her
students to look at a tree outside the window as they calmly floated
on their noodles during cool down. She says she softly spoke them
through the changes in a tree during the seasons. After the class,
one of her students told her how moving that had been for her
and that as a teacher she had done similar things with her students
and how in her mind it had helped her understand the order of
things and God's plan. "I asked her if she would narrate that
portion of class next time and share her words with us," says
Batson. She says tears glistened in the woman's eyes as she gently
nodded yes.
In Sarasota, Florida, AEA presenter Christy Samuelson decided
to end her classes a little differently. "The day after the attacks,
we finished in the prayer position and said Namaste. I then asked
each participant to pray for all the lives that had been lost,
and for America, since life as we knew it had changed forever,"
says Samuelson. She thinks it's ironic that prior to September
11th, most would hesitate at mentioning God in class, but on this
day, no one objected and many thanked her for ending class in
this way.
Presenter Shannon Leyen from Discovery Bay, California, says she
has always ended her classes with "God Bless you." After tearing
a muscle in her leg this summer, she says she added "God Bless
me too!" Since September 11th, Leyen has expanded her blessing
once again and now says, "God Bless you, God Bless me, God Bless
our nation, and God Bless the men and women who fight for our
liberty."
Recalling the three minutes of silence on Friday, the National
Day of Prayer, presenter Margie Caldwell Cooper of Sun Valley,
Idaho, says, "It was a beautiful, blue, Idaho day and we all sat
on the pool deck for those few minutes in silent contemplation."
In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Judy Kosaka, searched high and low for
American theme songs to uplift her students. She also incorporated
red, white, and blue into her attire. "I wanted to show my colors
for the country I love," says Kosaka.
In Toronto, Canada, John Henderson posted the late Canadian journalist,
Gordon Sinclair's "Toast to Americans" speech to the attendance
board. "Every person who signed in, stopped and read that speech
and remarked on how timely and suited it was to current events,'
says Henderson.
In Bern, Switzerland, Edith Locher wrote a touching commentary
for Greg Keye's Special Edition Global Communique. In it, she
wrote, "In each class I have taught since Tuesday, I have committed
one piece of music to the American people. Nobody talked, everyone
was moving and just giving their spirit to America."
In Australia, Val Smith-Orr retrieved an old tape with the song,
"New York, New York," on it. She introduced the song a week after
the attacks, by saying, "Girls, let's dedicate this song to all
those rescuers still working in New York, and to all those families
and people everywhere in the USA." She says she never witnessed
a cool down with so much precision and added, "There was a bit
more water in that pool by the time we got done shedding some
tears."
Like many Americans, some of our very own suffered tremendous
losses. AEA presenter Heidi Hill, from Boise, Idaho, and her husband,
a United Airlines pilot, lost dear friends in the attacks on September
11th. Despite her own devastation, she says teaching through this
tragedy is important. "This situation will not get better before
it gets worse, and instructors need to know that for perhaps a
long time, people are going to rely on our energy to help them
through what is yet to come." She also says we will need to provide
a happy refuge for our clients and treat it as a contribution
to public service.
Providing a happy refuge? I like the sound of that. Is this our
post September 11th role as instructors? Is it really a new role?
Haven't our students always come to classes for stress relief,
a feeling of belonging, and an hour-long diversion from the tolls
of life? I'm sure they have, but like others, I was often too
busy choreographing to notice. In the last couple of weeks, I
have forged a much greater respect for my students. This has manifested
itself in small ways, such as making EXTREME efforts to start
and end classes on time, and saying please and thank you while
cueing, instead of barking commands. No more storming into my
morning classes at the last minute, coffee cup in hand, hair askew,
and a frown on my face. Well, I can't vouch for my hair or the
coffee, but I am making an effort to greet everyone with a warm
smile and a pat on the shoulder. It's hard to put into words,
but my classes just FEEL different now. They feel good and they
feel right!
As a fitness community, we have made great efforts to strengthen
our student's bodies and now we must collectively strengthen their
spirits as well. The e-mails I have received are proof positive
that the fitness community is rising to the occasion. I'm just
sorry that I couldn't print everyone's comments. I received MANY
responses and I thank each and every one of you for your touching
thoughts and stories.
This article is a tribute to all instructors for stepping up to
the plate and going above and beyond what we thought was our call
of duty. Each of you has done it in your own unique way, simply
by doing what you love, doing what you do best, and by providing
that happy refuge to your students. I am reminded of words that
my pastor uses during his greeting in church. He always says,
"You are safe here. Drop your shoulders and just relax. All is
well." I hope I can engender the spirit of those words into my
classes.
I almost forgot. Shannon Leyen had yet another blessing! To the
fitness community, Shannon says, "God Bless you, for all you give
to others, hugs for hope and faith in God, for His mercies are
new every morning, for us to begin each day with a fresh start,
and God Bless America!"
You gotta love her!
SPECIAL THANKS:
- To Greg Keyes for his tireless efforts and his help on this
article.
- To Angie Proctor and the staff at AEA for their encouragement
and support.
- To the other fitness websites who are also posting this article
in a show of solidarity within the fitness community.
Mark Grevelding is a free-lance writer and full time fitness professional
living in Rochester, New York. As a personal trainer and group
exercise instructor, he is certified through AEA, AFAA, and FITOUR.
He may be contacted via e-mail at markgrev@aol.com, or by phone:
(716) 865-2609, or by mail; Mark Grevelding, 234 Milford St. #9,
Rochester, NY. 14615.
Copyright and permission granted by Mark Grevelding, 2001.
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Talk about a health issue during the strength portion
of your classes workout.
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