Yoga Instructor Life - Seeking Support

By Kathryn Boland

Are you in community with other yoga instructors? If you’re not, do you feel the lack of that? Even if you remain steady in your own views, there could very well be something in those views that you can learn from. Another important thing that fellow instructors can offer us is emotional and practical support. A graduate school professor of mine would always say “nothing in nature grows in isolation” - and aren’t we, as a species of animal, also part of nature?

A couple of examples from my teaching life illustrate this point. An instructor at my studio (where I'm a member, taking class almost every day) and I were talking about one of my corporate classes. I told her that it's been cancelled due to low attendance several times. Before I took her class the following day, she asked me “So what do you think is going on with that class? Just low numbers because of the summer?” We didn't have much time to talk about it then, but I later messaged her through social media to thank her for asking.

I shared with her that because I'm not in a studio’s team of teachers, my teaching life can feel lonely. It can be hard to come by someone to whom I can express concerns and fears, share in achievements, and offer knowledgeable constructive critique. She didn't respond because she’s currently extremely busy, in the middle of wedding planning and moving on top of her full-time teaching work. But she told in person a few days later that she enjoyed my message. 

I believe that the instance demonstrates how many instructors will be open to hearing what you have to say, and to being a pillar of support, if you open yourself up to sharing what you’re thinking and feeling. It also made me realize that I really could use more of a “village” of fellow instructors and health/wellness/fitness professionals. I’ve carved out more time, space, and energy to connect with such professionals - first through social media and then meeting up in person. 

As such, I've recently had a few lovely chats over coffee or meals with those who have an understanding of challenges I'm facing, can celebrate my achievements with me, and will ponder future directions for my teaching career with me. I can be present to offer the same to those with whom I’m meeting. This has felt great emotionally, stimulating intellectually, and helpful practically. Just as with that instructor at my studio, I've found these people to be very open, caring, and able to think very creatively. When we open ourselves up to others, they most often reciprocate. It has to start somewhere - why not with ourselves? 

Another instance that demonstrates the advantage of appropriate self-disclosure occurred for me at a workshop I recently took with a yoga instruction master. She was sharing many important and eye-opening points on sometimes reducing the active quality of asana practice in order to customize it to our unique anatomies. I very much agreed with her points, but I shared my train of thought how this approach would likely not be well received in settings where people come to the practice for a “hard” workout. 

She responded with the guidance that if certain teaching opportunities do not resonate with my deepest truth, release them and trust that new opportunities will arise. A well-known and respected local teacher attending that day added that it's important to find what really does resonate with me as a teacher, and to clearly, consistently offer that. I've recently noticed both these things happening for me. 

I feel I've been more capable of offering students what they came for in different classes I teach, yet also maintaining my signature style as a teacher. And I’m seeing the truth that I can pass up on opportunities that aren't in harmony with that style, because enough opportunities are coming my way that are! Yet that might be harder to see I had never heard that wise teacher’s response. And I might not feel confident in maintaining that way I authentically teach without my fellow workshop attendee’s astute comment. 

If I had kept in my head with my fears and doubts, in my own “bubble”, this productive process would never have happened. Just as our practice asks us not to judge, but to notice and adapt as necessary, we teachers can do that for each other. Don’t suffer in silence. Don't keep your joys to yourself. And be there for other instructors so that they can avoid those things as well. Together in community, we as professionals can truly make a difference in this world. 

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Cueing Physically Without Touching

By Kathryn Boland 

Do you teach in settings where higher-ups frown upon, perhaps even prohibit, physical cueing? Do you sometimes struggle to find alternate ways to help your students achieve safe and optimally beneficial postures? Such cases will be increasingly common in settings like hospitals, mental health care institutions, memory care units, jails, and substance abuse rehabilitation sites. In these settings, physical cueing may very well trigger students who have experienced trauma, or be misunderstood by those in compromised mental states. 

On the one hand, there are those pressures from administrators. On the other, if the goals of physical cueing can be achieved in other ways, why risk triggering students?  Read on for suggestions for those alternatives. No doubt, many of you readers are likely familiar with at least some of the following. But, for us yoga instructors, I firmly believe that refreshers and alternate perspectives never hurt! Please contribute any comments, concerns, questions, or additional ideas below. Thank you, all the best, and Namaste! 

1) Guide students to physically cue themselves. This can allow you to physically cues
students without laying hands on them. Better yet, it can be an extremely effective teaching tool, because there are multiple types of sensory input involved - tactile, kinesthetic/somatic, auditory, et cetera. An example of this type of cueing is to have students place one thumb in the hip crease of the forward leg of asymmetrical standing postures (such as Lunges and Warriors). Then have them feel that thumb draw the hip crease back in space, if necessary (and it most often is). 

Another variation of this cue that I like to use is with bound twists, standing or seated. Emphasize to students that with hands having contact at or just above the hips, they can sense if they’re overrating in the hips, or having it start primarily in the low back and belly. Another self-physical cue that I like to use is to have students deeply inhale with hands at heart center (Anjali Mudra) and feel the sides of their thumbs help lift up the sternum. Notice how much breath you can truly take in, I say to them. See if you might be able to find that deeper inhale at any point, and closer to all the time, I add. 

2) Have props be your hands.  We all know that props can be wonderfully helpful for
bringing the floor to our bodies in asana practice, in active and restorative postures. They can also be very useful physical cueing tools! For instance, in a core strength sequence, or even standing in Tadasana, a block (at the skinniest width) in between the upper thighs can guide students to truly engage the inner thighs. That's helpful for building inner thigh strength - but it also contributes to stable and safe alignment of the inner leg line, the knees, the pelvis, and low-back (all those anatomical areas being connected, of course!). 

Another classic example of this type of cueing is a strap around the upper arms (just above the elbows) in Dolphin Plank, Dolphin, Sphinx, preparations for Scorpion Postures and the full posture itself. Props are also helpful for deepening and properly aligning Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana). For less mobile students, a strap can help connect the feet and hands to ground the posture and encourage deeper folding (short of aggressively pulling oneself in by the strap, of course). For students who can easily touch their toes (without over-rounding through the spine), putting a block on the other side of their feet and having them hold it can encourage further folding and grounding. 

3) Use specific and clear anatomical cues. While verbal cueing is a whole other “ballgame” of cueing, certain types of verbal cues can work just like physical cues - by bringing awareness to a certain body part to then initiate a particular action. These must be concise, ultra clear, and specify particular body parts in order to be those types of verbal cues. For instance, in order to have a student bring knees closer together in Bridge Pose (as it's a common tendency for them to splay wider than the hips, which destabilizes the posture and strains the knee joints), I like to put the backs of my hands inside his/her inner knees and say “Please push into me here, just a little”. If I’m at a site that disallows physical cueing, I’d instead say: “Please draw your knees slightly closer together by engaging your inner thighs”.  

The relatively short cue tells the student what to move where, and how to move it. Another example of this type of cue is to ask students to “bend a half-inch deeper in the front knee” in a Lunge or Warrior Pose: what, where, and how is right there. Physical cue versions of this type would be light touch right at the back of the knee, or (my personal favorite, because it gives students more agency and allows for more learning, I think) placing a hand at the point in space to where you’d like to see a student bend his/her knee and asking him/her to “bend into my hand here”. All these can most likely get the job done (pending students’ efforts towards their own practices), so they’re all effective yet different ways of achieving the same goals. 

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Boosting Student Confidence – Communication

By Kathryn Boland

Do you recognize ways in which your students could have richer yoga practices 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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Meditation for Healthy Sleeping

By Faye Martins

Millions of people around the world are affected by sleep disturbances, like having a hard time staying asleep or falling asleep. Do you have chronic sleep-associated problems? You may pointedly improve your ability to catch sleep at night by practicing a particular type of meditation, shown by a rigorous new study “JAMA International Medicine”.

Daytime sleepiness that follows after a long night of lack of sleep can render you lousy and sap your efficiency, and it may even cause harm to your health. Now, a smaller study also reveals that mindfulness meditation, a mind-calming practice focusing on present moment awareness and breathing, does help.

The findings work for all age groups and more especially adults older than 55, of whom more than half have sleeping disorders. This research, a published clinical trial in the JAMA International Medicine, employed 50 adults over the age of 50 with sleep problems and was made to follow one of two curriculums.

In one group, the grownups educated deeds that could help them ripen good sleeping conditions and hygiene, as the establishment of a bedtime routine and avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bed. The other training group undertook a mindfulness meditation training program for six weeks, the indulgent awareness of the feelings and thoughts wandering through one’s mind, led by a qualified instructor.

At the close of the yearlong training, those that trained on the mindfulness study had better and greater advancements in sleep quality and fewer insomnia symptoms, fatigue and depression than those chosen for standard care.

The chief author of the training, David S. Black, said that mindfulness meditation approach helped in curing and settling the arousal systems of the brain. And unlike the widely used sleep drugs, there are o potential side effects to the approach, said Dr. David S. Black, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Southern California University.

“Given the raised health concerns associated with older adults and the use of sleep aid medication,” he added, “mindfulness meditation is the safest medication and promotes a sensible health practice that improves the quality of sleep.”

In contemporary years, numerous apps have sprung up to help users get training on the mindfulness meditation technique and other meditation forms. But Dr. David S. Black noted that this study went a long and better way of the structured mindfulness course led by a qualified instructor.

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on breathing and attracting the attention of the mind to the present without allowing it to drift into past or future concerns. It helps in breaking the everyday thoughts to evoke relaxation.

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Can Yoga Reduce Community Violence

By Amruta Kulkarni, CYT 500

Yoga has matured over the years with its various techniques that not only help with staying fit but improving the quality of life as well. Yogis continue to discover the different advantages that the practices offer. Recently, there have been studies and debates over the effectiveness of asana methodologies in reducing violence in communities. Is it possible to curb violent tendencies through yogic practices?

Reducing Verbal Aggressiveness

One form of violence that is prevalent in young adults is verbal aggression. Verbal aggressiveness refers to the attack on an individual’s ideas and points of communications with the aim of inflicting harm. A randomized control trial by Sudheer Deshpande, H R Nagendra, and Nagarathna Raghuram published in the International Journal of Yoga, July 2008 indicates that asana practices help in reducing verbal aggressiveness. Yogic breathing exercises have been proven to help control, anxiety, depression, stress, and tension. These are factors that contribute to verbal aggressiveness in individuals. Learning how to calm oneself before communicating with other people helps to curb aggression.

Controlling Anger

Anger is another way violence manifests itself. Getting angry is typical for any normal person; what you do with that anger is what matters. Angry people characterize communities where members are prone to violence, especially the youth. Yogic twists do wonders in finding your calm and controlling anger before it gets out of control. The advantage with yoga asana is that the breathing is synchronized with the physical activities, which contributes in relaxing the body. A person reacting to an enraging situation from a place of calm is less likely to engage in violent behavior compared to someone that acts with a hot head.

Getting Rid of Bad Feelings

Negative feelings play a significant role in instigating violent behavior. Some life circumstances may leave an individual laden with feelings of frustration, undue pressure, dissatisfaction, and depression. Someone who is not at peace with his or herself is not likely to react well to bad situations. Pranayama practices can help with meditation, which is ideal in getting rid of bad moods. Of course, the emotional state of an individual and the methodologies in use will play a critical role.

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Preventing Yoga Student Injuries Through Continuing Education

By Rachel Holmes

With millions of people practicing the art of yoga worldwide, people everywhere are experiencing such benefits as improved strength and flexibility, reduced tension, lower blood pressure, and much more. However, while many people who practice yoga are able to stay injury-free, others who are new to the practice may try to do too much too quickly. As a result of their enthusiasm, they often suffer various types of injuries that may hinder their progress. However, as yoga instructors gain experience and knowledge through continuing education, they can often help students’ progress at a safer pace and allow them to avoid many nagging injuries.

For many yoga teachers, one of the most interesting aspects of continuing education involves homeopathy. Focusing on how to keep the body free of illness and how to provide remedies for various injuries, this continuing education class is always a popular choice for many teachers. Addressing common problems that both adult and younger students may experience, teachers learn about which movements lead to the most injuries and how to help students stay injury-free.

Because most injuries in yoga occur due to over-stretching or misalignment during poses, continuing education classes often allow teachers the chance to learn how to make their classes safer and more enjoyable for students. In addition to classes on homeopathy, other CE classes focus on core strength and how to deepen the effects of asana and meditation. Learning how to help students increase physical stability, mental concentration, and progressive core strength all come together to make teachers better able to help students stay focused on proper techniques and outcomes.

Yoga, which is an excellent exercise for those experiencing joint pain and stiffness, also lets teachers take CE classes in the art of Gentle Yoga. Focusing on the joints and glands series of movements, these CE classes let teachers learn new ways to help students flush joints of congestion and metabolic waste while also increasing nutrients in their bodies. By focusing on these and other areas, yoga teachers and their students can look forward to injury-free classes that are fun and beneficial to everyone.

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