What do you do to add personality to your yoga instruction?
Do you maybe use any certain analogies, or do a special meditation at the end?
I like to sometimes end with an inner smile meditation after savasana during early morning practice.
One class I go to the instructor leaves flowers on our mats during savasana.
Anything in particular any of you do?
Thanks,
Om.
What I do is actually teach. Instruction comes from a list. Teaching requires an interplay between what the student needs, how they are being directed, and in what way(s) that direction is or is not being manifest in their doing.
In order to convey yoga I must be very careful to be myself in class, be authentic, AND not get carried away with what I will call “the show”. So I work diligently to keep my ego out of the mix. It is only a bland person that is a bland teacher. When I am passionate about the practice, when I am practicing what I teach (or living the yoga) then that integrity is transmitted to the student - no matter what I do or do not rub in their temples, place on their mat, whisper across the room, or chat to close. Students feel what the teacher radiates from inside.
Along with this I maintain a perspective that I am merely a conduit through which yoga passes and that the class is not “my” class but rather “their” class. As such, while expressing my passion for the practice (which comes from the depths of my own practice) I try to deliver in such a way that I am economical with words AND that those words are actually ones that serve the student - rather than my own need to be seen, heard, liked, or acknowledged.
That having been said, I do use humor, analogy, quotes, and light in my teaching. I open class with the gayatri mantra (as do my peers) since this is the mother mantra of yoga itself, and we always use the meditation techniques of centering the mental and pelvic forces and cocooning to cleanse the aura, both before and after most classes.
I use Reiki on the head and shoulders during Shavasana. I know of no one else that does this. My students love it.
I’m just me when I teach. I’m always lighthearted, playful and passionate.
I let the spirit guide me when it comes to teaching. I seldom have a prep sheet. I may have a general idea of what I want to teach and am confident about it, but I also try to be flexible. Each class I ask my students what they feel they need to work on and that knowledge coupled with opening up to allow the spirit to guide me has almost always led to a beautiful class. This has really encouraged great dialogue and often times a very playful class.
I also “teach” like Gordon has stated. I have found that very few teachers actually teach. That has really surprised me. I’ve had a # of students tell me I’m one of the few who actually teach yoga. Meaning pranayam, meditation, asana, relaxation, and the 8 limbs. I think it is important that students are taught. That is why they continue to come back.
Thanks for asking this question!
[QUOTE=lotusgirl;38977]I use Reiki on the head and shoulders during Shavasana. I know of no one else that does this. My students love it.[/QUOTE]
Some of my teachers do this too. It’s wonderful! You sound like a great teacher and I agree, I’ve found it’s quite rare to find instructors who invest more in their teaching other than just copying or following the poses.
How wonderful that you have experienced this! It is quite comforting to know that there are teachers thinking outside the box, so to speak. Thank you for the kind words, but I am no where near a great teacher. I still have much to learn, but I do teach from the heart.
Where are you from? The US?
[QUOTE=JohnnyRay;38926]What do you do to add personality to your yoga instruction?
Do you maybe use any certain analogies, or do a special meditation at the end?
I like to sometimes end with an inner smile meditation after savasana during early morning practice.
One class I go to the instructor leaves flowers on our mats during savasana.
Anything in particular any of you do?
Thanks,
Om.[/QUOTE]
Every person is unique… and that what makes everyone’s instruction unique. The worst you can do is to copy someone. The best you can do - just be yourself. Love yourself, love your students and good luck!