Should a teacher be positive all the time to teach yoga and change life?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Positive Energy:

As a new teacher, i struggle at time in teaching especially when my spirits is low and i dont feel positive my self. I believe that a teacher should be able to influence, motivate, and have positive energy all the time to teach yoga. I am glad how my student change her life because of me in terms of physical and spiritual. However, i struggle to keep the energy up. Teachers are human too, and i do not like to fake to be positive and sending good messages to make my students feel good. This has hold me back on teaching and giving up on teaching full time. Perhaps, i need to be able to fix my on issue as a teacher before committing into teaching as a full time career.

As a teacher, do u really fake to be positive or it is just in the blood that u are such a yogi??

#2

Hi Cass,

Interesting post…

I’m not a teacher but can give you my perspective from a student’s point of view…

As you said we are all human and I can understand that. But as a teacher we as students put ourselves in your hands, we need to feel safe and secure in the environment, as you know people could experience a range of feeling/ emotions during a yoga class and only the teacher can provide a ‘conained’ environment for the student to feel that they are able to experience their feelings.

It’s almost like therapy, if my therapist starts crying, I will not feel very safe or secure with them, as they are unable to contain themselves let alone me.

Perhaps, take a break, work on what is troubling you or even keep teaching and make sure to also continue your own journey of healing…

I wish you all the best xx

#3

Hi there…

thanks for your post :slight_smile:

I had a great class with my student today and i felt good.

U were right , we as a teacher should always continue our journey on learning and upgrading in order to pass our knowledge to the students.

May my teaching benefits all and bring light, love , peace and joy.

Namaste

#4

Hi Cass,

This is a great question. I’m really delighted you’re asking it of yourself and here.
As a teacher (of Yoga) we have to be “on” all the time and leave whatever gook comes up outside the studio. You may, if you like, pick it back up on the way out but if you become adept and hanging it by the door on the way in, might as well leave it:-)

At the same time, it is absolutely imperative that we teach from a place of integrity. That of course means teaching what we ourselves are doing (or teaching from our own living, if that lands better etymologically).

As for the energy it is not the same as the energy for running, or the energy for doing the dishes, cleaning the garage, pushing the mower. The energy or force in Yoga radiates from the feelings (or subtle) out toward the physical (or gross). When the teacher is holding the force, bringing light into their body, using the tools to focus their feelings, thoughts and actions, then these things radiate to students during the conveyance of Yoga. Otherwise it is just a veneer for activity and eventually both teacher and student see through the micro-layer of that gloss.

So we do the bigger work (on ourselves) leave our gook aside when teaching, maintain integrity and teach from our living, then focus our feelings, thoughts, and actions using the tools of Yoga.

#5

hello there :slight_smile: How are you?

After reading your post, i went on and focus more on self practicing , living a yogic life , reading alot more and bring myself back together to teach with more passion, heart and feelings again :slight_smile:

I cant tell u how yoga changes my life inside out. But its definitively a positive change and i have to non stop reminding my self to hang on here as i wish i could change someone else life too.

I might not be the best teacher on earth, but who cares? I have done the best for myself and my students, thats good enough, rite?? :slight_smile:

Love and Joy,
Cass

#6

Wonderful Cass, it sounds like you have used your expereince as an opportunity for growth, which is great! You are already just as you should be, perfect.

Keep growing and learning, as we all are.

#7

Cass,
Tweak your question into a statement and you got the answer.

When a teacher is positive all the time he/she can teach yoga and change life!!

#8

Until very recently, I spent approximately 18 months with debilitating intestinal pain; a feeling like I had swallowed glass. During that 18 months, six weeks was spent coughing up blood. 12 of those months I experienced costochondritis so bad it hurt to breathe and I couldn’t bend over. Nine of those months were spent without a diagnosis and my wondering if I was dying (it sure felt like it). I can’t articulate how terrible it was.

I can say with honesty that there was very little positiveness emanating from me during that time. There was no leaving what I was experiencing at the door. If I would have acted positive or happy, it would have been just that, an act.

Was I unfit to teach yoga? Was I not a yoga teacher during those 18 months?

I could teach yama. I could teach niyama. I could teach asana. I could teach pranayama. I could teach pratyahara. I could teach dharana. I could dhyana. Samadhi? I have no idea what the hell that is.

A student wouldn’t feel positiveness emanating from me. They wouldn’t feel happiness. But they might feel compassion as it’s much easier to see the pain most everyone else is in when you’re dealing with tremendous amounts yourself. And they would hopefully experience humbleness as I have been humbled.

Did I share any yoga during those 18 months? I don’t know for certain, but I would like to think so.

#9

Whether one is a yoga teacher and whether one is fit to teach yoga, these are two separate questions.