[QUOTE=SohamYogaStudio;35192]
They will spend lot hell of money for junk foods but don’t like spend even for nominal fees.
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But in a nutshell, people always want quick fix without any change in their pathatic lifestyle. They want to continue eating junk food , being irregular in class but at the end they want magic to happen.
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I have decided to continue my best irrespective of how people respond , as long as I am doing right.[/QUOTE]
For many people, getting rid of a harmful habit must begin first with accepting that they have one, and as teachers who want to encourage healthy progression, we are all striving to provide an environment where our students are free to learn how to better themselves and make healthier decisions.
Now, most people can sense right away whether the people in their vicinity are accepting of them, and people who are obese are generally more self conscious and have a low self esteem, which makes them easy to discourage.
So my question is, do you think that your attitude that these people have a pathetic lifestyle affects the way that you interact with them? Do you feel that you have created an environment in your classes where they can come as they as are and progress forward, without feeling judged or labeled for the habits which they come to seek help for? If you’re absolutely sure that you are, (though I don’t know any teacher who can completely set aside their judgement and ego when dealing with those that they teach), you can skip the rest of this post.
The students that come to you do not share the same knowledge, upbringing, experience, motivation, and self-discipline that you have been blessed with. People that align themselves toward harmful and addictive lifestyles normally do so because they are ignorant and have not experienced what it is like to be in another state, or because they do not have the strength or knowledge to overcome the obstacles required to move through those steps.
You may be trying to teach them to lose weight and eat healthy, but dropping 50 pounds doesn’t just change the scale - it can change a whole life! What if you become an active and happy person and your partner doesn’t? What if you are not supported in choosing healthier foods by your spouse or children? What if through your practices, you realize that you need to remove comfortable and pleasurable negative influences (including people) from your life in order to concentrate on the higher paths of yoga?
Many of us forum posters have been through drastic and painful changes which inspired growth and learning on the path of yoga, but we had the motivation to do it, and probably some great teachers who were challenging, supporting and inspiring us along the way. Now if what you truly want is to create a motivational and supportive environment which plants and nurtures the seeds of change, then you should evaluate whether you are projecting that vibe and being an accurate role model for those that learn from you. If your students really would rather spend money on junk food instead of paying low fees for a class, then let your body, mind and speech actively promote the idea that yoga is going to bring better, more lasting effects, and greater happiness than a a box of sweets, because it obviously has not gotten through to them yet.
Are your classes spiritually challenging? If they are purely physical, then the above circumstance may occur. If you are too spiritual, some people may be turned off.
