The blind leading the blind?

[Nichole]

Are most yoga teachers these days anything but? At what point is someone qualified to teach yoga? After 200 hours of training? After 500? After 5000? After 11 days on the beach in Mexico sipping Martinis and doing asana? After learning how to market themselves really well? Or is there some other variable in the equation that is necessary before you can teach yoga to others?

I wanted to share something that struck a deep place in me, and that I took on as practice early in my training as a Yoga therapist. It is from the Structural Yoga Therapy program manual, that my principal teacher, Mukunda Stiles, used with my class.[I]Structural Yoga Therapy is learning how to see the world through the Yogi’s eyes, or darshan (the way of seeing). First and foremost, the consideration for me [Mukunda] is to convey the experience of Classical Yoga, as a living breathing presence enlivened by prana Shakti. This means that the importance of yoga therapy, asana, philosophy and the various subjects of Yoga discipline are all secondary. For this to occur, the Yoga student must always remain a student of life. It is important to learn how to accept and practice integrity of yamas and niyamas as a lifestyle. [B]Without this, the community at large will not accept certification even if one has received it from a respected teacher.[/B][/I]
[I]
The process of being a Yoga Therapist begins with your commitment to personal growth or in Sanskrit, sadhana. The first principle in Yoga is nonviolence or ahimsa as cited in Yoga Sutras II, 33-35. The definition of nonviolence is the longest sutra (II, 34) of the text; in summary it says, “negative thoughts and emotions are violent.”[/I]
[I]
The word sadhana means literally “moving towards the Truth” or the “means to liberation”. Attaining the Truth is a glimpse of liberation. Truth or satya is the second of the yogic code of ethics, the yamas. Satya—the words one uses have the force of their life energy. When someone makes a commitment to class and then doesn’t come or doesn’t pay – where is the integrity in this action? With sufficient integrity of lifestyle, the life energy of prana will manifest the truth of their words. Yoga
Sutras II, 36. [/I]

[LEFT]It is my experience that you are a teacher when others ask it from you, the same as a therapist.

Our individual responsibility in what we offer begins with a personal and deep commitment to [I]satya[/I] or truthfulness and how suitably we are matched, student to teacher, client to therapist, based in truth.

It is always best practice to offer what you can honestly, and to have confidence that those who are looking for you and your skill set will find you. Just make yourself ready.

If your training is 10 beautiful days in Tulum, and your only vinyasa is lifting a margarita to your mouth and swallowing, then offer this is to the world with confidence. Truly, don’t be afraid, as there are certainly others who are looking for you, and who can even benefit from learning from you. Just keep your integrity and honor the truth of your personal practice and offerings–whatever they may be. This helps navigate the blindness of it all and allows for the student to grow, even past you as their teacher, and to take on other teachers who can offer the next step.

I have found it to be a real privilege to be able to recommend that my clients go to see my own teacher after I’ve worked with them for some time. My ideal is that my students and clients grow and heal and move forward in life, that they do not become depended on me. My hope is that they grow to need more than what I can offer them as a therapist–this is truly excellent place to find yourself.

*nichole
[/LEFT]

[David]

That was beautiful Nichole, thank you. Goosebumps ahoy

How many of us DO practice satya when we are sought out and found? If my certification consisted of margarita asana, am I going to be honest when that student asks me how to deal with this tension in my psoas and I have to google what a psoas is? Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel that most aren’t honest and integral during such an encounter. And that’s where I have a huge issue with the current state of yoga in the USA.

Now, I don’t necessarily fault the teachers as they’ve been taught that they’re now yoga teachers and that they’re ready to teach when someone asks them to. God knows it took me awhile to be honest with myself and I’m no doubt still bullshitting myself on many levels. I think that the teacher’s teachers, the “masters” must be looked at and held accountable for certifying people that have no business being certified.

I remember during my first teacher training graduation. I forget the exact words but our teacher said we’re all ready to teach. And as I looked around the room after having spent 200+ hours with these people I knew in my heart that was not true.

What if MD’s all of a sudden were being certified after two years of medical school instead of four? And then another school opens up and certifies them after one year. Then a school opens up where they can get certified after just three weeks at a resort in Bali. We’d be up in arms. Why should yoga be different? God knows that the people coming to us are in extreme need of healing. And most of us aren’t honest enough with ourselves and the students to provide them proper care. Yes, you are a teacher when someone asks you. But the lesson should often be one of honesty, integrity and humbleness. If someone asks me what year Christoper Columbus arrived in America I’m a teacher at that moment. But if I say 1993 then I have failed in my duties.

Doctors take an oath to first do no harm. Yogis have ahimsa.

Both groups are violating these big time.

And that needs to change.

[David]

Sorry to hear you do not see sunshine on a cloudy day on your island.

I was off shoveling rocks a few minutes ago (quite a meditative task and it’s amazing how many asana-esque moves you can work into the motion) when I think it clicked what you mean. While my initial statement was obviously (hopefully) a joke, I do thank you, it is appreciated.

[Alix]

Oh Nichole, how beautiful. Thank you for that. I am of a similar mindset.

While I would never presume to “teach” asana, I feel well qualified to share my own personal journey and to teach through this. I am often asked why I made this choice or that, and in those moments I feel blessed to share.

David, there are all too many yoga “teachers” who focus only on the physicality of yoga and not on the rest of yoga.

[David]

David, there are all too many yoga “teachers” who focus only on the physicality of yoga and not on the rest of yoga.

Indeed. That’s why, with your current educational background, I look forward to you teaching a lot of yoga as well. I think you’ll be able to help a tremendous amount of people heal on multiple levels.

[Pandara]

After many years of observing me doing yoga and living it as well, my spaniel, Matilda, is now my best teacher as nobody can do downward facing dog as she can! So even dogs are yoga teachers these days.