10 Tips for Teaching Yoga

May 19, 2010

Every single class can be improved upon no matter if it’s your first time teaching or you’ve been teaching for ten years. Here are some ideas for anyone who teaches Yoga.

1. Watch the Music

I’ve only been to one class where the music added to the experience because it was really loud and the teacher didn’t talk. The result was we all got in the zone and just moved. However, if you are teaching a class rather than just leading one, then you’re going to need to talk to the participants. Chose music that doesn’t have words if you are going to be talking. It’s always frustrating to try to hear what the teacher said when they’ve got vocal music playing at the same time.

2. Warm Up the Class

Unless you know the skills, abilities, and mind-set of everyone in the class before hitting the mat, take time to warm up. Many classes are full of people who have just come from a job or some other stressful situation and they’re still in “get it done” mode. Allow them to connect to their body by slowing down, breathing, and settling into the practice. I’ve had participants get annoyed and impatient during the warm up because they “only have an hour for their workout” and they “want an intense” one. They can find another teacher or take up a competitive sport.

3. Let People Move and Breath at Their Own Rate

Just as everyone’s body is different, so are their heart rates and breathing capabilites. Some people will move through a vinyassa faster than others. There is no need to have everyone move in sync if they understand the progression. Say they’re going from downward dog to cobra, back up to mountain and you want that to happen three times. Tell them to do it three times and wait for everyone to reach their third mountain before giving new instructions. If you let them move at their own rate you’ll find that most people reach the end posture within a second or so of each other.

4. Remember When It Was Not Easy

After you have been practicing Yoga (or anything) for some time, things that were once difficult begin to seem easy to you. Usually this happens after you’ve done said thing 1,000 times or more. Keep in mind that your students might be on their tenth or 100th time. There’s nothing wrong with discussing the basics in each posture over and over. Mastery is command of the fundamentals.

5. Promote an Environment That Welcomes Questions

By being open to questions, you allow your students to give you valuable feedback about how the class is going for them. They are experiencing Yoga through you. If they ask about anything it’s an indication that you can later add information to your dialogue during that asana. Also, by accepting questions, participants become more invested in the experience knowing that they can dig deeper or ask for another explanation to help their understanding.

6. Layer the Difficulty

When you have a class of mixed abilities and experience, layer the difficulty of each asana starting with the easiest first. 99% of the time EVERYONE in the room will shoot for the most difficult version of whatever you’re doing. By taking it step-by-step you can eliminate some of the over-zealous beginners from possibly hurting or frustrating themselves.

7. Be Genuine

I went to a class soon before writing this article where the teacher kept barfing, “Awesome guys! Wow! I’m so impressed with all of you,” and yet the teacher’s vocal inflection didn’t change to represent any form of actual, credible excitement. Just be yourself. Filling the silence with false flattery makes your students feel patronized.

8. Keep the Group a Group

Pointing to one person and declaring, “Wow, s/he has an amazing happy baby,” can make that person feel embarrassed, special, or pressured to perform. Know who’s got it going on but keep it inside. Let everyone feel equal in terms of the fact that they’ve all chosen to practice Yoga at the same time and same place. Unite them.

9. Wind Down

Equally important to the warm up is the wind down. Keep track of time and move people into wind down to give them time in Savasana. How much time you spend on this is largely dependent on your class and the timeframe. 

10. End Strong

The same class I mentioned in tip #7 ended with the teacher saying, “Nobody got hurt, right?” If the measure of your instruction is that everyone managed to leave class un-maimed then something ain’t right! End on a positive note and preferably not some quasi-religious prayer that feels like church (my own peeve). A simple thank you goes a long way.

Posted on May 19, 2010 : Comments (0)

How OLD Are You?

April 17, 2009

Right now—in this very moment—you the oldest you’ve ever been in your life. And now, a moment later, you’re still the oldest you’ve ever been. But what’s even more amazing is that right now—in this very moment—you are the youngest you’ll ever be in your life. And now, a moment later, you’re still the youngest you’ll ever be!

No matter how old you are, this moment is the best moment to do whatever it is you want to do. If you want to get fit, get rich, learn something new, tell a new story, live a dream, now is the best time to do it. I once knew a 72 year old woman who was getting her Bachelor’s degree in music (piano specifically) because it was something she always wanted to do. She enjoyed every second of the process as if she were 22.

Dreams don’t fade away, they just get swept aside. Imagine that. All of your dreams are still there next to you, following you around and lurking in the shadows of your life. Why not pull one of them out and dance with it? Who knows what will happen!

If you think it’s too late to start something new (or something old), remember, you are never going to be as young as you are right now.

Posted on April 17, 2009 : Comments (3)

The Power of Meditation

April 12, 2009

This video was recommended by several people on Twitter.com. It is quite interesting.

Posted on April 12, 2009 : Comments (0)

Breathing: Part of Something Larger

April 06, 2009

The Earth and our bodies are a constantly flowing life cycle. Our hearts beating, our lungs filling with and releasing air, and constant motion are vital to our well being.

Posted on April 06, 2009 : Comments (0)

T’ai Chi Workshop with David-Dorian Ross

February 02, 2009

Recently I was invited to attend a workshop led by David-Dorian Ross, aka “Dr. Tai Chi.” You know him, he’s the guy who stars in the Giaiam Tai Chi DVDs that are for sale at Whole Foods and New Seasons. David-Dorian is a seven-time US national gold medal winner in T’ai Chi performance, a two time World bronze medalist and World silver medalist. He has won more international honors in T’ai Chi performance competition than any American in history. He’s also a really nice guy!

The workshop was hosted by Kimm Mahoney-Watson at Pilates Body Studio in Lake Oswego, Oregon. A group of practitioners were in attendance including Portland Tai Chi instructor CJ McPhee, creator of Energy Moves. It was an impressive turn out.

David-Dorian led us through some exercises and explained about how Tai Chi is loaded with life-lessons. This idea is not new. Anyone who practices Tai Chi will see correlations between Tai Chi and their greater experience. However, David-Dorian made it fun and intriguing and I gained some new insights as he spoke about the six principles of Tai Chi. Below is what I took away from the workshop:

Principle #1 - Slow Down

This is self-explanatory in Tai chi, but it’s easier to put into your form practice than it is to do in real-life situations. When practicing a discipline we often speed up during the difficult parts so that we can get through them and on to the parts where we feel more comfortable. We do it at work and we do it in play. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, we all do it. After hearing how David-Dorian presented it I began to think about slowing down in my whole life. How many times have I made a hasty decision that could’ve been avoided had I taken my time? Tai Chi doesn’t begin and end when the form begins and ends.

Principle #2 - Sink

Get in touch with the Earth. Be grounded. In Tai Chi we call it “rooted” or “rooting,” like a tree. To me, sinking is less about getting as low as you can (which sometimes makes you more unsteady) and is more about being connected. This is a place where practitioners tend to differ, but however you look at it, you must do it. Sinking might be aligned with being ready for anything. Think of sinking as keeping your feet on the ground and your head out of the clouds. We’re physical beings but sometimes we get all cerebral and dreamy, lost in our own imagination or psychosis. Sink—get your feet on the ground.

Principle #3 - Relax

You can’t make it through a Tai Chi class without hearing the word “relax.” David-Dorian emphasized relaxation as any good Tai Chi teacher will do. I always say that relaxation is a means in Tai Chi. Slow down, sink, relax. Relax not only when doing Tai Chi form but also when you lose your car keys, or when you find yourself in a stressful situation. R-e-l-a-x. 

Principle #4 - Balance Yin & Yang

I get and got the idea of Yin and Yang flowing from one to the other in the Tai Chi form. For instance, when you push right (Yang) you then turn and hold the ball (Yin) single whip to the left (Yang). This balance of full and empty energy happens outside of the form as well. In the form we don’t jump from posture to the other, we transition into it. In my personal life I tend to want to jump rather than transition from one Yang moment to the next without a Yin transition in between. You have to sleep at night. You have to rest. You have to slow down, sink, relax, and balance Yin and Yang.

Principle #5 - Natural

Is the movement natural? If not it’s not Tai Chi. How do you know if it’s natural? You feel it. When you try to compress your body into someone else’s framework you will suddenly find that you cannot sink, relax, or find balance.

Principle #6 - Continuity

Another simple principle, keeping a continuous speed, timing, and flow are all part of Tai Chi practice. Continuity not only happens in your form but also in your daily practice. Daily practice is rhythmic. Practice once every few weeks is not. Consistency in business, in school work, in relationships, in your work, and being your word are all forms of Tai Chi.

Posted on February 02, 2009 : Comments (0)

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