I had told them that if they weren’t comfortable holding hands, that was okay, that they could just say they were glad the person next to them was here. A few hands immediately dropped and a sigh of relief could be heard, lol.
So I mentioned that ‘even if someone doesn’t want to hold hands or isn’t comfortable making eye contact with you, it doesn’t mean they don’t like you….it’s their choice…and they may just be very shy so this activity could be too uncomfortable for them. When I was your age, I was so shy that I could barely speak to anyone I didn’t know well. It’s important that we honor everyone’s feelings in our circle, ok?”
A little boy raised his hand, clearly thinking very deeply about what I was saying, and asked “Miss Amy, what does it feel like to be shy?”…..(I LOVE their questions!)
“It feels…..scary. That’s why it’s important we realize why some of our friends in the circle may not be comfortable making eye contact or holding hands or speaking clearly or sharing their thoughts when it’s their turn. Can we all agree to make sure we feel comfortable and to make sure we are honoring each other’s right to feel comfortable and safe too?”
“Yes!!!”, they seem to all collectively shout out at once, a sea of little heads all nodding in agreement, compassion and understanding for one another.
Sigh. 
SO thankful for this work.
YOGA CHAT on the MAT 