Yoga teachers are being cheated. Not in terms of their training in the practice and instruction of yoga. No, there is no shortage of effective, even transformative, programs for becoming a teacher. I’m referring to the lack of training in the business and interpersonal skills required to build a sustainable lifestyle as a yoga teacher.
I’m shocked to see senior teachers settle for less money for a class because they’re too afraid to negotiate with a studio owner.
I’m saddened when I see a wide-eyed new teacher burn out after only a few years because her schedule was even crazier than before she “left the rat race” to follow her dreams.
And I’m simply flabbergasted by teachers who expect classes and workshops to fill up magically on their own—as though marketing is an evil they left behind when they started teaching.
Today marks a new chapter for Aquin Yoga as we launch a special blog just for teachers. In the months that follow, we will explore the common issues and questions teachers have and start an ongoing conversation. The blog will be more than just my own thoughts and opinion, but will feature insights from guest bloggers and hopefully, all of you.
To kick things off, I want to share an excerpt from my upcoming book The A-Z of Being A Successful Yoga Teacher.
The Problem with Listening to Your Body
“Listen to your body” or “Do what feels right”.
These sweet phrases sound like we’re giving our students permission to take care of themselves and find their own way during the practice.
However, it is high time we examined these well intentioned standards thoughtfully. I would be so bold as to say that most teachers that utter these words are just repeating something that they themselves have heard a thousand times. At best, “listen to your body” is a throw away line used to fill space. At worst, these instructions can lead to chaos and even injury.
Defense
On the part of the teacher, these words are often a casually defensive move. For some teachers, use of “do what feels right” type phrases come in response to dogmatic schools of yoga and the guru model. We also know that postmodern people don’t like being told what to do in a definitive manner, so it makes sense that as teachers we have modelled a language that “suggests” rather than “instructs.” In fact, some teachers have such a hard time with “instruction” that they refer to themselves as guides and not teachers.
In other cases, the person leading the class is using “listen to your body” as a blanket disclaimer that absolves them personally from being responsible for the class. You run the risk of becoming a disconnected teacher if you have a habit of using a disclaimer in lieu of actually observing the room and helping people as needed.
Confidence Issues
Another big reason for throwing in a routine “do what feels best” is lack of self-confidence. Rather than openly telling students what to do, you leave them with half a dozen options which confuse and distract. The problem isn’t with giving your students options if they need it. The problem is when you are giving vague instructions because you are uncomfortable being clear and definitive. Most teachers—especially new ones—identify this as a felt sense of lacking the knowledge to lead the sequence. On one hand, you shouldn’t teach what you don’t know; but you should also consider that you might actually know more than you think. Continuing education and practice will help you to build self-confidence over time.
Doing What Feels Right Isn't Always Best
“Do what feels right” as a statement may seem like a small thing and you could call me picky for addressing it, but here is why I think it is so important: the unexamined overuse of a phrase like “Do what your body is asking for” is going to land your students squarely in their comfort zone. If someone tends to push themselves too hard, then the most extreme version of the pose will “feel right.” If they tend to stop at the first bead of sweat, they will listen to the status quo and follow that as the truth of “what they need in this moment.”
When I go to class it is to be guided and to learn. If I “listened to my body” I would probably stay home and eat a donut. When your students make the effort to show up to your class, they are showing up to listen, learn, trust and inquire. Staying loosey-goosey in the face of the enormous honour your students pay you by showing up, reminds me of something my friend Jeff Carreira once said to me. He described a teacher who doesn’t carry the power and respect they are being paid as being armed with an uzi but pretending it is a pea shooter. Everyone knows what you are packing and yet you are undermining and downplaying the authority and knowledge you have. In short, probing this particular phrase will help you determine if you are really using it to help create space, or if you are inadvertently letting your students off the hook from their own unfolding.
If you are considering dropping these familiar phrases from your vocabulary, what can you do to allow for space and options without being loosey goosey?
- At the beginning of class take a moment to explain the difference between pain and discomfort, openly offer the space for your students who may need additional modifications, to ask you for help during the class.
- Ask if anyone has injuries or special considerations before the class begins.
- Welcome a rest pose which you demonstrate before the class starts (show one option, not five) and remind the class of that option once during the class.
- If you do feel the need to fill space with the phrase “do what you want”, instead try being silent and looking very closely to see who might need a different direction.
How do you help your students go beyond their status quo while keeping the room safe and spacious? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Scream and Shout by Mindaugas Danys