my Teaching philosophy
Activity and learning are closely intertwined. Some activities, like reading a book, singing a song, or walking along a path, mix our thoughts and actions together. Of course, sometimes our thoughts are not exactly about what we are doing. We could be walking along a path and thinking about something someone said to us earlier in the day or maybe something we see along the way. Still the activity is a kind of stimulus that gives us the opportunity to think and maybe reflect.
Yoga is a different. Much of the purpose of practicing yoga is to bring our thoughts in closer connection with our body. “Listen to your body” is a mantra or saying that many yoga instructors say to their students. When someone practices yoga, they place their body in positions that challenge them both physically and mentally. A difficult or challenging pose can often feel impossible to achieve at first. The body will feel tight or unresponsive – this is a signal that it is not ready to perform that pose yet. It is at this point that a dialogue can begin between the student’s body and their mind. |
A yoga student can tell her body that challenging poses are something to be desired but it requires practice to achieve. To practice effectively, it's often necessary to have help and instruction from a teacher or someone who more that the student. More importantly, the teacher can learn ways to help the student understand the conversation between her mind and her body, helping her concentrate on making her activity and her thought move together.
Naturally, when building these connections, the most important issue is physical safety. as a teacher, I want my students to have the best possible experience in the studio, and that means finding the right balance between challenging them and keeping them safe. I want to help students stay within their own experience and to help them to stay grounded, centered, and breathing. I also help them try to help them remember where they are in space while they are feeling the sensations evoked from the postures.
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For example, I might say to my students, “Notice where you feel the most sensation in this shape. Can you put half of your attention on that sensation and put the other half of your attention on your breath? “. This type of inquiry allows students to have choice in their experience, and helps them to connect their sensations with their bodily limitations. In this way, they can learn their own awareness to keep themselves safe.
Thinking about how yoga instructors work with new and advanced students helps me understand my own teaching philosophy. I believe teachers should be very knowledgeable about their subject. They should also try to remember how they became knowledgeable so they can understand and relate to students who are just beginning to study and learn. In this way, their teaching can be about more than just their knowledge of a subject; their teaching can be about helping students learn to listen to what a subject is saying to them.
Teachers should also try to both challenge and reassure their students. A challenging topic or concept can be like a challenging yoga pose. When a student struggles to understand a new idea, it can seem like twisting into a new and unfamiliar pattern. A teacher can be there to both encourage a student to challenge herself while supporting her at important steps along the way. This combination of challenge and support can help the student maintain focus and interest in learning and become more knowledgeable. This can then lead to greater confidence to try even more challenging subjects and to persevere and practice, even when the subject is initially difficult. |
I hope to bring these qualities to my teaching. I want my students to feel challenged and supported at the same time. I want them to trust me as someone who has knowledge and experience, both as a teacher and a learner. Finally, I want to be a teacher who inspires students to have closer connections between their activities and their thinking.
Namaste!
Namaste!