The forecast promised scattered thunderstorms, gusty winds, and steadily dropping temperatures. Yet still, 30 people traveled up to an hour to the beach for a yoga class this March.
I started the classes initially as a way to keep the teaching muscle fresh. It was a rocky start, I was nervous and didn't know if people would show up. It was easier to just cancel class than dedicate half of my Sunday to jitters in the park.
Luckily I had encouragement by a few friends and kept at it. Soon friends of friends started showing up. And then eventually folks I had never met started coming.
It's been equal parts exciting and uncomfortable as the group has grown into itself. The first time more than 100 people RSVP'd to a class, I anxiously checked the growing "yes" and "maybe's" each day and with every new "yes" came a grain of self doubt. Thankfully that anxiety was smacked upside its head by the excitement and encouragement of my loved ones.
Once the number of RSVP's exceeded 150, I panicked and went to the electronics market to buy a microphone and a sky blue hip-pack speaker that cost $60US -- a lot of cash for what I thought would be a one-time use.
By the time class started, nearly 400 people had responded with some indication they might show up. Incredibly -- and I mean that without an ounce of sarcasm -- approximately 50 people turned up.
I had never been more thankful for flakiness. Or more humbled by the turnout. Never ever had I ever guided more than two dozen people through a class.
After that, "I" became "we" by welcoming more instructors who offered more classes. Today, the group has more than 2,000 members on Facebook and we have a team of volunteer teachers who generously offer classes when their schedules allow. Over time, the RSVP's got less intimidating and more predictable.
It became easier to estimate class size:
And that hip-pack mic set? Worth its weight in gold, despite its dodgy sound quality. Also, it makes me feel like Tony from P90X.
This "yoga thing" has become a passion project, a side hustle, that "thing I do outside of my job" that feels like I have a point and a purpose here beyond my corporate gig.
We're all craving that space where we feel like we matter and belong, and this group is something I never anticipated would be my unlock here.
This community was a happy accident and has become a big contributor to my well-being in Hong Kong. The group is wonderfully diverse, spanning all ages and races. Each class has at least one brand-new-to-yoga student, some of whom have blossomed into the can't-miss-a-class regulars. Sunday classes feel a whole lot like the atmosphere of the pot lucks after church that I haven't experienced since leaving the Midwest. Everyone brings something wonderful to the table.
The driving philosophy of the group is to be friendly and welcoming. It's such a simple thing that has carried the group--and me--to place I couldn't have possibly dreamed up.
Find us on Facebook or Insta at HK Outdoor Yoga. (Big thanks to pal Stu for the high-quality professional shots in this post).
Some weeks, folks willingly climb 200 steps and a giant hill. Other times, it's outrageously hot and sunny and still, people show up to practice.
Two years ago, I taught my first yoga class in Hong Kong. It was made up of nearly every person I knew in Hong Kong. Looking at the photo now, these same people are now some of my closest friends here.
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| The first class! |
Luckily I had encouragement by a few friends and kept at it. Soon friends of friends started showing up. And then eventually folks I had never met started coming.
It's been equal parts exciting and uncomfortable as the group has grown into itself. The first time more than 100 people RSVP'd to a class, I anxiously checked the growing "yes" and "maybe's" each day and with every new "yes" came a grain of self doubt. Thankfully that anxiety was smacked upside its head by the excitement and encouragement of my loved ones.
Once the number of RSVP's exceeded 150, I panicked and went to the electronics market to buy a microphone and a sky blue hip-pack speaker that cost $60US -- a lot of cash for what I thought would be a one-time use.
By the time class started, nearly 400 people had responded with some indication they might show up. Incredibly -- and I mean that without an ounce of sarcasm -- approximately 50 people turned up.
I had never been more thankful for flakiness. Or more humbled by the turnout. Never ever had I ever guided more than two dozen people through a class.
After that, "I" became "we" by welcoming more instructors who offered more classes. Today, the group has more than 2,000 members on Facebook and we have a team of volunteer teachers who generously offer classes when their schedules allow. Over time, the RSVP's got less intimidating and more predictable.
It became easier to estimate class size:
- Good weather, central location, accessible time and more than 150 "yes" RSVPs? Call for backup, 100 people will probably show.
- So-so weather, and ~100 RSVPs? Likely 30-40 people will turn up.
- Tricky class location? Early in the morning? Safe bet that the class size will be smaller.
And that hip-pack mic set? Worth its weight in gold, despite its dodgy sound quality. Also, it makes me feel like Tony from P90X.
 |
| Mic pack in action |
This "yoga thing" has become a passion project, a side hustle, that "thing I do outside of my job" that feels like I have a point and a purpose here beyond my corporate gig.
We're all craving that space where we feel like we matter and belong, and this group is something I never anticipated would be my unlock here.
This community was a happy accident and has become a big contributor to my well-being in Hong Kong. The group is wonderfully diverse, spanning all ages and races. Each class has at least one brand-new-to-yoga student, some of whom have blossomed into the can't-miss-a-class regulars. Sunday classes feel a whole lot like the atmosphere of the pot lucks after church that I haven't experienced since leaving the Midwest. Everyone brings something wonderful to the table.
The driving philosophy of the group is to be friendly and welcoming. It's such a simple thing that has carried the group--and me--to place I couldn't have possibly dreamed up.
Find us on Facebook or Insta at HK Outdoor Yoga. (Big thanks to pal Stu for the high-quality professional shots in this post).
