PHOTO: LEE TE HIRALet go of the need to be liked
The need to look good and have others’
approval is everywhere in society, and
something I see frequently in teachers as
well. They want to be liked, and so spend
much of their time trying to prove
themselves to others. Their classes are
so focused on gaining approval, that
they forget the real reason people
come to yoga – transformation. For
transformation to occur, we must
confront those things about ourselves
that we believe are lacking or in excess,
and build or balance those characteristics.
As a teacher, to facilitate this transformation
in students, you must have compassion
but also the willingness to challenge
people, ask confrontational questions
and spark enquiry. To really do this
effectively, we must drop the approval
game and do what’s needed for our
students to learn – and sometimes that
may mean ruffling a few feathers.Learn anatomy and physiology
Having a basic understanding of A&P
(anatomy and physiology) is essential for
the modern yogasana teacher. I say
yogasana because hey, if you don’t move
people then it’s not so relevant. But
modern yoga teachers are mostly yogas-
ana teachers, and a lot of students and
teachers are drawn to the practice for
physical reasons. Having an understand-
ing of A&P allows you to safely approach
advanced asana, cue students effectively
and also understand posture in balances
that can be improved through sensible
practice. It can be a chore, but it will
allow you to sequence with an anatomi-
cal intelligence that leaves students
feeling balanced in savasana.Create inspiring poetic rhetoric
in classes
I’m not sure why so many teachers
struggle here. Maybe its because public
speaking is the number one scariest
thing to do in the world! Well, public
speaking authentically about a subject
even the teachers find difficult to
practice must trump mere pubic
speaking alone. So I get it, creating a
poetic rhetoric that inspires the hearts
and minds of students can be insanely
difficult, revealing and scary, but it can
also touch people deeply. Leaving a
spiritual legacy is about leaving a message
inside a person at the end of class.
Learning basic public speaking
structure and delivery can help you here
if you are not naturally inclined. And
once you have mastered this art and feel
inclined to philosophise throughout the
entire class, remember that ‘space’ is
also an important element.
Make sure the topic you are
presenting for people to consider is well
researched, logical, spiritual in essence
and presented in a way people can
follow. Do that and you will rock the
house every time.Balance the elements
I always find that my best classes are
when all the elements have been
balanced – earth, fire, air, water, space.
The Earth element in a yoga class
represents grounding. Good breath cues,
alignment and a grounding dialogue is
what brings students out of their mind
and into their bodies.
Fire tends to be more confrontational.
Whether in a dialogue such as ‘have
24 a good look at yourself’, or a strong
january 2018yogajournal.com.auYogi superstar Duncan Peak shares his
10 secrets to being a great yoga teacher
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