Teacher Training

To Teach or Not to Teach?

I never wanted to teach yoga. The idea of teaching a room full of people all at different ability levels, with varying energies and experience didn't sound fun to me. You got Joe over in the corner sweating just thinking about trying to touch his toes, you got Mary up front eager to show everyone the "correct" way to do each asana and then you got Bob who ignores all of what you say and does his own thing in the corner. Ahhh. No thank you. I am however lucky enough to be in Flagstaff where the Mary's and Bobs are few and far between. There are of course Joes but Joes I can handle.

So what changed your mind you might ask? Why teach yoga now? Well truthfully it was the experience of teaching yoga itself that changed my mind. After just a few times of , "oh come on teach me please", I was hooked. I was even told I would glow after teaching. Sharing something that is such a personal experience can be a scary thing. Here are some pointers from my experience as well as from the teacher training for anyone who is interested in teaching or just deepening their practice of yoga:

• Practice! It is important to teach from your personal practice. Why? Because we always teach best what we know from personal experience. If you stay committed to your practice of yoga doors will begin to open up.

• Teach from the heart. This is related to teaching from your personal practice but different in that it is important to teach what moves you and not what you think others are expecting to be taught. There is a balance here. It is important to consider the experience, physical limitations, and state of each student in the class and conform your approach to them while maintaining the theme of what is meaningful to you as the teacher.

• Learn the history and traditions behind yoga including some Sanskrit. Why? Because it gives you the opportunity to connect the dots. There are many many many translations of the Yoga Sutras and other yoga texts. Learn some Sanskrit and figure how what they mean to you. This allows you to teach from your experience of what it all means.

• Learn some anatomy. You don't have to run out and get a doctoral degree in anatomy although it would be helpful. But at least familiarize yourself with basic anatomy and how the asanas are different for different bodies. Why? Because it will help you in your own practice to make deeper connections to what is going on inside your skin and it will help educate you so no one gets hurt. Yoga is for healing not hurting.

• Find a good teacher! We are all still learning on this path of yoga and even the teacher needs a teacher. There is always someone who knows more. Continue to challenge yourself by finding someone who can help guide you along the way.

What is meaningful for me? The themes I am currently exploring in my personal practice are acceptance, compassion, devotion, and ease in effort. Acceptance for my physical limitations due to injury on the mat and acceptance of all those around me off the mat; because really we are all the same and merely at different places on our paths. Compassion and love of myself on the mat so that I am able to share that compassion for others off the mat. I do believe it is compassion that tears down barriers we build between ourselves. If we are able to accept someone for who they are it becomes easier to have compassion for them despite any actions we may not agree with. Devotion. For me devotion is to my practice of yoga. It's warm in bed and cold and dark out there but I get up anyway and practice. I'm tired and grumpy and feel irritable towards this person but I search for compassion anyway because I am dedicated to practicing yoga no matter how many steps back I may experience. Ease in effort. I am always searching for ease in my effort during my asana practice. Sometimes I find it. Sometimes I don't but I always try to remain aware of it on and off the mat. It's a special moment when I suddenly realize I can try a little less and breathe a little more. I forget now and then and find myself stressing over my to do lists but of course it is a practice.