By Kathryn Boland
Part II – Communication, Class by Class
Do you recognize ways in which your
students could have a richer yoga practice experience if they could release
their strongly held views of “wrong” and “right”? Do you wish they could just
trust what their inner knowing can tell them is best for them as individuals? In
the first part of this series, I introduced this dynamic through describing a
student of mine who presently seems unable to look to herself for her own answers,
instead constantly seeking reassurance from me that she’s doing it “right”. I
suspect, dear readers, that you’ve encountered similar students.
That behavior, and these students’ underlying
lack of confidence in themselves as practitioners, is problematic in a few
aspects. Firstly, it limits the potential of their practices because they know
things about themselves, things that impact the practices that are best for
them, that we instructors could never fully grasp. Furthermore, lack of
willingness to look inward for answers stands in the way of their growth into
individuals who can find what is right for themselves within themselves – a key part of our journeys
as yoga practitioners.
So, all of this considered, how can we
guide our students to listen to, to trust, themselves as yoga practitioners?
How can we boost their confidence when they come from a culture that all too
often tells them that their choices are “wrong”? Firstly, we can foster full
and open communication between ourselves and our students. As yoga instructors,
it helps us to hear students tell us what does and does not feel right for
them, their goals, and the pertinent elements of their personal histories.
That helps us to lead them in practices
that more appropriately fit them, rather than the other way around. Even after
doing so – as we’re humans who make mistakes, and not perfect teaching robots
(how boring would that be?) – students who listen to their inner knowing can
make choices to follow what we offer, or make alternate choices (such as
resting in Child’s Pose versus taking another Vinyasa flow sequence).
How can we foster that kind of
communication? Ideally, what does it sound, feel, and look like? In Part I of
this series I described how I tried to deliver these ideas to my student – some
of which I would repeat, given the chance, and some of which I know that I
could have approached more tactfully and articulately. Otherwise, we can offer
students further resources on yogic perspectives and philosophies. There are
countless videos, books, websites, et cetera on those topics – accessible and
(likely) appealing to all types of people. Perhaps - if they might have the
time, inclination, and intellectual capacity – they might even feel up to
tackling the Yoga Sutras or the Bhagavad
Gita.
If students can’t, or don’t want to,
approach these resources on their own, it’s always an option to cite phrases or
sentences from them at any point during our practices (full credit given, of
course). Many instructors also read passages from such texts at the beginning
of classes - or at some point before, during, or to end Savasana. When teachers do this in classes that I take, it most
often adds something truly special to my experience of that day’s practice. Exposure
to these sources can help students to more fully understand, and hopefully
embrace, the yogic view of finding one’s own right path.
That aside, the ways that we directly
converse with our students - during classes and in those moments before and
after classes - largely determine the success level of the overall
communication between us. If we take a commanding attitude over our students -
telling them to execute this or that posture, at this or that time, never
leaving space for them to ask questions - we convey that they must seek their
answers in us. On the other hand, we can ask them meaningful questions,
encourage them to ask questions of us, and offer various modifications of
separate postures (also emphasizing that they are more than free to choose of
those what they think is best for them).
Those actions send them the message that
their inner knowing has value, and is even important for finding what is truly
right for them. All of that communication is also possible before and after our
classes, if we arrive early and stick around afterwards. Even our actions of
leaving that space for communication and collaboration open, before and after
our classes, is meaningful; it indicates to our students that their concerns,
desires, stories of their experiences, questions, et cetera are worth that
extra time to us. Those messages
contrast Western society’s overarching message that there is a “right” and a “wrong”
way decided by someone or something apart from themselves, with what is “right”
being what they must strive for – their individuality inconsequential.
As yoga instructors, we are positioned to
help them learn another, more fulfilling way of being and believing – one that
is found within yoga. We can help them learn to respect their inner voices, and
thus maybe even live fuller lives off of the mat. As an instructor, to me that
is a gift – yet a place of responsibility. We instructors, therefore, owe it to
our students to remain mindful of this dynamic, and perform our duties as
instructors accordingly. As always, I’d love to hear your views on the topic,
dear readers – so please comment below. On
Shanti!
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Center – Publications Division
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