25
january 2018yogajournal.com.auflow that challenges (yet includes)
everyone.
Air for me tends to be the lightness
in the class - the occasional laugh, or
light philosophy that touches hearts.
Water is poetically delivered
with fluid movements and smooth
transitions. It creates an environment
where students can create deeper and
deeper Dharana (concentration)
experiences in the body and mind.
Space/Ether is the element that goes
out of balance way too often. Be careful
not to ramble. Sutra-fy your dialogue,
be essential, use minimum words with
maximum impact and let students have
space to process, receive, download and
assimilate what they are learning.
Preaching can be good, but if you force
your message or your alignment cues,
the element of space suffers.
Don’t be too creative
What I love about a great teacher is they
bring the same boring old breath and
down dog to life, day after day. In some
ways it’s easy to be creative, but that’s
not always effective. Being super creative
is often a need of the teacher, not the
student. Some of the biggest and best
yoga styles in the world stick to one
sequence for years! There is so much to
be said for students being able to create
familiarity with a sequence so they can
evolve past just listening for what is
next. Learn to be a teacher who can
bring the classical postures to life
without the need to be overly creative.
Stay inspired
One of my early teachers said to me,
“Duncan, forget about inspiring
everyone and just focus on staying
inspired yourself”. Lead by example
and make time to do the things that
inspire you, which will in turn help to
inspire others.
Develop a good understanding
of business
The business side of yoga often
challenges teachers. Don’t get the
business of yoga mixed up with teaching
yoga. Businesses are businesses -
they can and should have great values
directing them but they need to be run
as a business. Yogis sometimes have a
very confused understanding of business
and what it means to create a platform
where your teaching can touch many
people.
It will always help a yoga teacher to
have a basic understanding of business,
brand and social media. This will also
help them to understand their own
value and hence avoid being taken
advantage of. I am all up for charity -
but if you want to be charitable, teach
students that can’t afford to pay. There’s
no need to give away classes to
millionaires at your own cost.Lift other teachers up
We get great by making others great.
Try let go of feelings of competition, and
allow everyone to stand in the light.
Don’t judge other teachers, styles or
philosophies - we all started at one
point. Generally the generation before
us thinks what we are doing isn’t yoga,
just like the generation before them - all
the way back to the original Rishis who
intuited the wisdom. Interesting thing
to ponder - All yoga, all GOOD!Be willing to evolve
This can be very difficult and testing to
do in an evolving industry. Once we
discover who we are as a teacher, it
seems we need to recreate ourselves
if we are to continue to evolve. Staying
stagnant isn’t an option; we are bound
by action so we might as well focus on
true self-study and evolution (svadhyaya),
even when it contradicts things we have
stood for in the past. We must be willing
to be humble and willing to be a student
time and time again.Teach yoga as it applies to
others, not to you
A good yoga teacher teaches yoga as it
applies to themselves, how they feel,
what is effective for them and what
they believe is right. But a GREAT yoga
teacher sees what the student needs and
delivers teachings in a way they can
learn from, as it applies to them.
Forget about your Self, and focus on
your students.“It will always help a yoga teacher to have a basic
understanding of business, brand and social media. This
will also help them to understand their own value”