When I first became certified I was overwhelmed with trying to teach the 8 Limbs of Yoga. After 20 years of Asana practice, I knew there was more to yoga than just the poses. Yet I didn’t know how to incorporate the other limbs without dragging a dry erase board to class and giving a workshop.
I’ve realized, it’s not beneficial to anyone to try to harp on any one limb of yoga. The 8 Limbs of Yoga are a packaged deal.
Christians believe in the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in the Book of Galatians. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control. You do not learn about one, master one, and move on. One who is “full of the Spirit” would embody all of these characteristics.
We do not help “Yoga” when we treat Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi as separate check off list items. Something to acquire and then move on to the next one.
They flow together, move together, breathe together to create something complete. Something beautiful.
But the weight of respecting Yoga’s roots ensnared me and started to choke the joy out of teaching.
It didn’t help when a Hindu yoga teacher took to Instagram to bash what “white women” were doing to her beloved yoga practice.Teaching More Yoga Than You Think!
Sadly I had put my teaching friends in boxes. Oh she’s a great Pranayama Teacher. And, She focuses on Dhyana every class therefore she’s a better teacher than me. Worst of all, when I judged a Group Fitness Instructor / Yoga Teacher for only being an Asana Teacher. I’d walk out silently criticizing, “yoga isn’t a workout Cindy”. I was no better than the IG basher.
Once I started to relax about “converting” people to love more than one limb of yoga, classes felt a bit richer. Not only was the lecture and information overload removed from the atmosphere, I felt less like the Yoga Limb police. Because let’s be honest, no one else cared but me. I wasn’t on the Yoga Alliance Wall of Fame for protecting yoga.
I wasn’t getting any awards for “saving yoga”. Yoga is doing just fine. And yoga is allowed to evolve. Look at Yin Yoga, it is not what Paulie Zink originally shared in the 1970’s. No one is upset about that. We praise Paul Grilley, Sarah Powers, and Bernie Clark for their influences.
I’ve finally come to a place of realization, It’s not for me to defend “yoga in the west”. I was not behind the marketing campaigns, the model choices, the high dollar outfits. I am just a yoga teacher with a heart for yoga.
A New Approach to Teaching
I evaluated my class structure, and decided on what I really wanted to offer each hour I taught. What students could expect to get out of my classes. I knew I wanted to incorporate more than one or two limbs of yoga in my classes – without lecturing, preaching, and giving long explanations.
It’s a subtle shift, but one I feel represents who I am as a teacher.
I begin and end class with Pranayama. I offer introspective Body Scan Meditations, Pratyahara. We work through a flow, enjoying the asanas which also brings in concentration, Dharana. I try to theme a class around a Yama or Niyama. Then offer a moment before Savasana asking, “Are you being kind to yourself today? Who do you need to be more kind with today?” A moment for Swadhyaya, the 4th Niyama.
This teaching style now feels like an embrace. This feels like everything works together beautifully rather than dragging a podium before the room and announcing, We’re going to practice Pratyahara today. Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses. We’re going to stop focusing on the outside noise of the studio and focus on the inside noise of ourselves. The noise is not good noise or bad noise, it is just noise.
Can I be honest and say I don’t want to go to that class? And I’ve taught that class before, apologies. I’m not saying don’t teach that Pratyahara Workshop either. It’ll be great! I’m saying I had to adjust the self-inflicted stress of trying-to-get-it-right-without-offending-anyone.
We have a great opportunity to teach any way we want. We do not have to defend our teaching style or even lack of teaching style.Nor do we have to feel the overwhelming weight of teaching the perfect yoga class. All limbs represented.
After 800 classes, I just want to teach a memorable class. Something that looks more like an invitation to come back to the mat next week!
From my mat to yours,
Stef