The thing about teaching yoga…
By Corey Ann | January 12, 2010
So, the more I teach yoga the more I realize I need to figure out what determines a “good” class.
Back in the day (think: 2004-2007) I facilitated discussions on domestic violence, sexual assault, and power. I really, absolutely, truly enjoyed doing this. When I’m facilitating, I get to interact with the audience and receive immediate feedback from them.
Now, I lead groups at a rehab. And while there is some “facilitating” involved, a lot of it is straightforward teaching. In teaching there’s still feedback and interaction, though in a different form than facilitating.
When I teach a yoga class, there is not consistent interaction with the participants. Yes, I walk around, and yes I check in, and yes I look at their faces/body postures. But we’re not chatting, they’re not telling me what pose is good and where it’s working their body. Furthermore, with all this increased yoga in my life, I have learned things that I had no clue about before. So if you had asked me a year ago - Corey was that class a good progression for the major poses? Did you adequately stretch your adductors and open your hips before going into Warrior 1? I would have had NO idea. I could’ve told you - I feel great! or I feel sore! or Wow that was hard! but I couldn’t enunciate why. Also, I’ve walked out of numerous classes that I absolutely LOVED and said nothing to the teacher. I’ve walked out of classes I despised and said nothing to the teacher.
So, at the end of class when there are a few comments, I definitely value them, but they’re not the end all be all.
Which leads me to this conclusion:
My students’ reaction cannot be the sole indicating factor to determine if class was good or not.
This is a liberating feeling, to not “need” the class to validate my teaching. However, it does require me to work harder so that I am confident, pleased with, and satisfied by my teaching. I recently finished The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand and she says a lot about independence and self-sufficiency. So here are a few quotes that help my understanding of my position.
“If you want my advice, Peter,” he said at last, “you’ve made a mistake already. By asking me. By asking anyone. Never ask people. Not about your work. Don’t you know what you want? How can you stand it, not to know?”
“Independence is the only gauge of human virtue and value. What a man is and makes of himself; not what he has or hasn’t done for others. There is no substitute for personal dignity.”
“But you see,” said Roark quietly, “I have, let’s say, sixty years to live. Most of that time will be spent working. I’ve chosen the work I want to do. If I find no joy in it, then I’m only condemning myself to sixty years of torture. And I can find the joy only if I do my work in the best way possible to me. But the best is a matter of standards–and I set my own standards. I inherit nothing. I stand at the end of no tradition. I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one.”
Currently I am figuring out what I do to make a class great, how to keep doing that, and how to build on it. The thing about teaching yoga.
Topics: Yoga Adventures |
2 Responses to “The thing about teaching yoga…”
Comments
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January 14th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
These same quotes you mentioned have inspired and haunted me! I am doing some serious soul searching and although it seems normal to ask for advice, I think it’s important not to, not to need it, and to be completely confident in your own thoughts. Thank you for this post! It has inspired me
Love.
January 26th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Amazing amazing amazing. Thank you for this post.
I tried Fountainhead before and didn’t get through it. Perhaps I will try again.
This quote is great:
“If you want my advice, Peter,” he said at last, “you’ve made a mistake already. By asking me. By asking anyone. Never ask people. Not about your work. Don’t you know what you want? How can you stand it, not to know?”