Teaching Yoga: Self-Respect and Patience

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed.

In many of the areas of the world today, there is a great emphasis on achievement. This implies achievement of all kinds, including educational, financial and social. The strong emphasis on achievement used to be the purview of primarily western European cultures. However, today there are many cultures throughout the world that stress high levels of achievement and accomplishment, over many other areas of life satisfaction. 

As I was beginning to write this article, I was planning on writing about expanding self-love by generating more awareness about one’s own needs, particularly in the context of participating in or teaching a Yoga class. However, as I thought about the subject of self-love, I quickly realized that what many of us actually need is not just an awareness of what we need, but also the ability to slow down and have more patience with ourselves for simply having needs at all! 

On the other hand, in our interwoven virtual world of immediate gratification, we are subconsciously taught that if a web page or Google calendar doesn’t load in a few seconds, we have a right to be annoyed and angry. This can translate into a devaluing of the ability to be patient and mindfully sit with our feelings, even if those feelings are uncomfortable. Many of us often want to get rid of those uncomfortable feelings immediately by closing a web page, rushing off to the next activity or quickly moving onto the next asana in our practice. 

About Teaching Yoga

If you practice and teach Yoga regularly, you probably have learned how to breathe into areas of tension in your physical body. As an experience Yoga practitioner and teacher, you most likely have also learned how to “sit” with uncomfortable feelings and breath through them, as you nurture the self-awareness that will uncover the wisdom that underlies many somatized emotions and experiences. In the same way, when you teach a Yoga class, you will be able to gently help your students to expand their own self-love, by increasing an awareness of their own feelings and needs during a class. 

As your Yoga students become more aware of what they need during a class, you can support them in appropriately meeting those needs, by making necessary modifications, resting when necessary and using a variety of props, in order to make challenging asanas more accessible. As a professional Yoga teacher, you are also in a unique position to teach your students how to tolerate uncomfortable feelings and sensations during a class. This ability to tolerate discomfort helps students to be able to tolerate uncomfortable feelings in daily life and to make appropriate changes when necessary. 

Do keep in mind that the ability to tolerate uncomfortable feelings and sensations, such as tight hip flexor muscles in Fire Log Pose, does not mean that a student should stay in a Yoga posture that is actually causing him or pain. This is a fine line for you to be aware of as a Yoga teacher. Checking in with your students during the course of a class will help you to determine if a student is working at an appropriate edge, or if he or she needs to back off a pose and practice a modified version of the posture or another posture all together. 

Underlying the ability of your Yoga students to increase their awareness and compassion for themselves is mastering the skill of patience with their own physical and emotional progress on the mat. When a student is able to patiently explore his or her own physical and emotional needs, a varied, balanced practice of asana, pranayama methods and meditation techniques will offer the student life long benefits. In turn, by intuitively and creatively sequencing a Yoga class, so that a class is challenging, engaging and accessible for most of your students, you will be firmly supporting them in the process of expanding into greater levels of awareness, patience and self-love.

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she specializes in writing customized articles that are 100% unique. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com.

© Copyright 2016 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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How to Have the Most Popular Yoga Studio in Your Community

By Kimaya Singh

Yoga is a high sought after class among many, and a good yoga instructor is hard to come by. There are many characteristics that go into what classifies an excellent yoga instructor. While some teachers are freelance and can go to almost any location, the secret to building relationships is providing a safe environment that they can return to each week, such as a studio. Even if you are teaching yoga at a local community center, you can still make sure that your class is the most popular location for yoga in your neighborhood.

Stay Focused

A great yoga teacher can have every technical skill possible to help educate his or her students, but at the end of the day it is the impression that he or she leaves on each student that is important. Your emotions reflect onto that of your students much more than you might realize. If your energy is centered on being calm, focused on each student, and enthusiastic about his or her goals then that will be remembered. On days when you have a lot of events going on outside of class, it helps to arrive to your studio 30 minutes or an hour prior to your class and meditate. This will ensure that you are centered and focused for the class ahead.

Reflect Your Joy

Students can also tell when you are not enjoying your job or having fun. If you want your students to have fun and make a lasting impression then they also have to feel you are as well. In order to prevent a "burnout", ensure that you are not instructing yoga based solely on a physical level. You have to also connect with your teachings and appreciate the power of the ancient techniques. Without this realization, you will not be able to inspire your students or help them change their lives.

Remain Flexible

Everyone likes to feel appreciated or important. Stay in tune with the needs of your students through personal connection and communication. This will help you be prepared for any changes in a student's educational needs. By being flexible as far as a planned yoga routine, and altering it to meet the needs of your students, it shows compassion and understanding. This shows them that you are listening to them and that you care about their goals. While it is important to have a carefully planned lesson prepared each week, if a student is not ready to perform this planned lesson then there is no point in going through with it. Be observant when your students arrive, examine their emotions, and decide if your class is prepared for your lesson or if they might need a more relaxing class on that particular day.

Maintain Your Tone and Pace

Keep your voice upbeat but not so perky that it becomes annoying. Ensure that it is calm, motivated, and easy to understand. Your students are there to relax, and hearing a harsh tone or even one that is too high can be a turn off. You need to also be aware of how much you talk, as this can interrupt a student's focus. Only speak when you are instructing. Save the other topics for after the class is over. The pace of your class should also be regulated depending on the students. If the majority of your class is advanced, then you do not want to go too slow or else they will get bored. However, too fast and they will not be able to keep up.

Giving adequate pause between each asanas is an added benefit that will allow each student to feel energy in an inward place. It will give them time to reflect on the fact that they need to take their goals farther into a deeper pose. By giving them more time for asanas, they are also able to experience peace and calmness. The stillness that occurs during asana will help each student's body rest while the energy flows upward. A student who is new to your class might not be able to handle a long asana, so this is a factor that you will have to alter about your lesson if they are present.

Maintain the connection between you and your students by staying after class to speak with each person. Inquire about their feelings of the class, find out about certain limitations, and show that you do care about their overall well-being. By doing so, you can ensure that you have the most popular yoga studio in your neighborhood.

© Copyright 2016 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Teaching Yoga Students About Acceptance

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

As we all move through our lives, many of us will experience the pain of heartbreak, especially in the realm of romantic love. At times, we may feel that we are walking on cloud 9 when all is well with our chosen paramour. However, when the relationship ends, many of us tend to sink into depression and despondency, as the reality of the ending of a cherished relationship begins to sink in. 

When heartbreak becomes solidified and deeply lodged into body, the heart and throat chakras often become closed down. This physical armoring is an attempt to nullify the pain and protect us from any more heartbreak. Unfortunately, the physical contraction of the heart area can lead to a diminished immune system, cardiac problems and depression. A contracted throat chakra can undermine the healthy functioning of the thyroid and the parathyroid glands, which can predispose you to endocrine problems. 

By teaching a well-rounded comprehensive Yoga class to your students, you will help them to release physical tension, which will support them in releasing painful emotions and memories. One of the very first steps to teaching your students to consciously integrate painful relationship experiences into the broader context of their lives is to encourage them to accept the reality of what a particular relationship actually was to them and to the other person. A very gentle way to encourage your students to “accept what is,” is to have them slow down enough to become truly present as they practice Yoga with you. 

For instance, if you allow your students a few minutes at the beginning of a Yoga class to either sit in a comfortable seated position or stand in Mountain Pose, while they take a few deep breaths and clarify their intention for their practice, they will quickly become present and aware of their own state of being. This may include feelings of grief, disappointment or betrayal, if they are contending with the ending of a cherished relationship. By simply creating a set time and space for your students to slow down enough to get into touch with their own hearts, you will help them to experience clearly how they feel. 

Accepting the reality of the ending of a relationship is one of the very first steps to moving through loss and disappointment. As their Yoga teacher, when you encourage your students to accept their feelings and physical state of being without judgment, they will be more able to begin the process of healing from heartbreak. In terms of the physical practice of the asanas, when your students begin to accept their own unique physical needs, strengths and weaknesses without judgment, they will also begin to accept the reality of their emotional lives with less judgment and more openness.

Of course, as a professional Yoga teacher, you have many different ways of helping your students to increase their physical health and cultivate a peaceful and positive mind, but your are not a therapist! At times, it may be important to gently and privately encourage a student, who is deeply struggling with the end of a relationship or marriage, to seek professional guidance and support. However, do not underestimate the power of a comprehensive practice of Yoga postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to release sadness and grief, as the mind is calmed and the heart is uplifted. 

Teaching these ancient practices to your students with competency and loving kindness will support your students in many areas of their lives, including healing from heartbreak. You may also want to creatively sequence some of your Yoga classes to underscore back bending postures and stress-relieving pranayama exercises. If you have the time, you may also want to include complementary, heart-opening Yoga practices into your classes, such as chanting sacred mantras. Chanting sacred mantras is a form of vibrational energy healing, which has the power to remove grief from the heart, uplift the spirit and cleanse the mind. 

© Copyright – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Nurturing Harmony In A Yoga Class: Truth

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed. 

If you are fluent in two or more languages, you have probably noticed that there are slight qualitative differences in the way that cultures describe daily life events, various emotions and states of being. The ancient language of Yoga, Sanskrit, has a word "niscintata" that refers to being in a state of harmony, both with oneself and one's surroundings. The many-layered meaning of niscintata is encapsulated by B.K.S. Iyengar's definition of vibrant physical health and mental well being. 

B.K.S. Iyengar is one of the most well-known and highly reputed Yoga teachers. He brought this ancient practice to the west several decades ago. He stated that: "Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open up." This is a beautiful way of describing the state of harmony with one's self and one's surroundings, which is enfolded in the layered meanings of the ancient Sanskrit term, niscintata. This state of well being is also grounded in being free from mental agitation. 

When you're teaching a Yoga class, there is a very fine balance between honoring and standing in your own truth as a certified instructor and honoring the truth of your students' experiences. There is also a shared experience that is created between a Yoga teacher and his or her students. Honoring the interplay between you and your students is important, as you fine-tune your method of teaching. As a professional Yoga instructor, you are undoubtedly well versed in the precise, correct alignment of the asanas and human anatomy. In addition, you are probably well versed in how to sequence a class so that it is balanced, challenging and safe for your students. 

However, you may not have been trained in the art of deep listening and mindful awareness practices. These practices will help augment the training that you received during your Yoga certification program. In many ways, it is just as important to be able to listen to your students with mindful awareness, as it is to know the precise drishti point in a Yoga posture. If you do not listen to your students with compassionate, mindful awareness, you may end up pushing some of your students too hard into postures that they are not yet ready to practice, or you may not provide your students with the type and intensity of Yoga class from which they would most benefit. 

Of course, it is critically important to know how to teach Yoga postures, pranayama exercises and meditation techniques correctly and with precision. When you incorporate being mindfully aware of how your students are approaching their time on the Yoga mat, you will be more able to subtly shift the practice, in order to fully support your students in coming into harmony, both with themselves and with their surroundings. The ability to effectively support your students in the unfolding process of coming into a state of union or harmony with themselves truly underlies the essential intention of a Yoga practice. 

In addition to standing in your own truth as a professional Yoga teacher, it is also important to honor the subjective experience of your students. For instance, you may have a student in your class who suffered a knee injury while skiing several years ago. As you guide your students through a series of postures, including kneeling postures such as Camel Pose, this student may feel more comfortable using a folded blanket on his or her Yoga mat, in order to provide extra padding for the knees. By listening to your students’ needs and concerns during class, you will be respecting and honoring the innate wisdom of your students, which will further nurture a state of harmonious equanimity in your Yoga classes. 

Virginia Iversen, M.Ed, has been practicing and studying the art of Yoga for over twenty years. She lives in Woodstock, New York, where she works as a writer and an academic support specialist. She is currently accepting Yoga and health-related writing orders and may be contacted at: enchantress108@gmail.com.

© Copyright 2016 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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