|
|
| So...do you all think that a professional yoga teacher should have a daily practice?
(well, you know, a daily practice minus rest days, moon days, or whatever reasons for skipping here and there.)
I know that we've talked about yogafit and yoga alliance before, but I don't remember this one ever being kicked around.
Any thoughts out there? |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State | Teachers who are serious about yoga are practicing it. And for most them,
that means a daily practice such as you describe.
I'll never forget the workshop yogi who showed up on the second day of his
workshop complaining about that "one glass of wine" the night before and
swearing that a few Surya Namaskara would set him right...it was a sad spectacle.
Edited by Bay Guy 2006-02-04 12:08 AM
|
|
| |
|
| Mitch - 2006-02-03 8:38 PM
So...do you all think that a professional yoga teacher should have a daily practice?
I don't know about daily, but they should have a strong, regular practice. I personally don't practice every day, so it's hard to hold others to this standard.
'll never forget the workshop yogi who showed up on the second day of his
workshop complaining about that "one glass of wine" the night before and
swearing that a few Surya Namaskara would set him right...it was a sad spectacle.
Okay, this one is lost on me. Are you saying he had to much to drink? Or that doing the yoga really would set him right? Or that it was sad to see him in this state? |
|
| |
|
| i feel that yoga instruction should be firmly rooted in strong practice.
the studio where i used to practice, many teachers were hardly practicing at all.
i understand that there are time constraints in life, but their performance as teachers clearly suffered.
my own desire to teach is an extension of my practice, and if i were sacrificing my personal practice, the whole system would suffer.
|
|
| |
|
| I need to practise regularly on my own in order to be a good teacher. I believe in being a teacher it's my responsibility to keep growing personally so I can take that back to my classes.
How else will you grow in your own practice if you don't do it yourself?
"practice what you preach".
Even as a student I was told in order to receive the full benefits of yoga it should be doen daily. Now how often daily is for me right now - with a full time job and teaching and being a student, I make the time when I need to do it, and do it in the time I have. (which end up being fairly regular - for now) 
Anyone in any other discipline of teaching would/should do the same. |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | GreenJello - 2006-02-04 12:43 AM
'll never forget the workshop yogi who showed up on the second day of his
workshop complaining about that "one glass of wine" the night before and
swearing that a few Surya Namaskara would set him right...it was a sad spectacle.
Okay, this one is lost on me. Are you saying he had to much to drink? Or that doing the yoga really would set him right? Or that it was sad to see him in this state?
Yes, he was hung over. |
|
| |
|
| Bay Guy - 2006-02-04 9:06 AM
GreenJello - 2006-02-04 12:43 AM
'll never forget the workshop yogi who showed up on the second day of his
workshop complaining about that "one glass of wine" the night before and
swearing that a few Surya Namaskara would set him right...it was a sad spectacle.
Okay, this one is lost on me. Are you saying he had to much to drink? Or that doing the yoga really would set him right? Or that it was sad to see him in this state?
Yes, he was hung over.
I don't think I'd want to take another workshop with such a teacher. Classes, I might, but workshops are supposed to be better than a class, so if you're imbibing so much before a workshop that you're hung over there's a serious issue. |
|
| |
|
| or if you are hungover - don't announce it to the class... |
|
| |
|
| shnen - 2006-02-04 12:53 PM
or if you are hungover - don't announce it to the class...
It's an interesting game isn't it? A bit self-destructive, not to mention all the drinking. |
|
| |
|
| I am the type of person who thinks ahead of time before they do anything. If I am teaching or have a commitment the day before - I put that as a priority over anything do the night before.
If I have a class, they have paid to have a teacher that is aware, and is there in mind body and spirit to teach and guide them in their practise.
One of the times I moved my (ex) best friend promised she'd help me. Well she didn't show up till 3:30 pm, and she was extremely hungover. I was angery with her for not thinking enough of me and her promise to me, to actually follow through with full commitment to help. |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| Teachers MUST practice. We all have ups and downs in our practice and this is part of life. Even Geeta Iyengar says there are times, with all the responsibilities she has, that practice suffers. But in order to teach, you must practice. Plain and simple. I often think about someone who teaches something like knitting - if you went to a knitting class and it was obvious the teacher hadn't picked up a knitting needle in a month, would s/he be able to teach you anything or inspire you to knit? I think not. |
|
| |
|
| The one who teaches is called Yoga-charya (Yogacharya BKS Iyengar):
Acharya is the one who : acharati - means practices, and then teaches what he/she practices.
There is one level beyond Acharya where practice is NOT necessary, but those teachers a) do not generally teach much related to practice in a conventional way b) have already realized the self, beyond which NO practice is necessary. c) they are extremely few, and do not teach in a Yoga Class environment.
|
|
| |
|
| i think that 'regular' practice is important. daily practice (with specific breaks for specific reasons as the OP mentioned) is a good goal. For me, an easy one to achieve. There are very few days when i don't practice.
but, i think that 'regular practice'--in whatever forms that may take--is important. i wouldn't go to the extreme and say "hey, i think that yoga practice once a month is fine for teachers!" but, i don't think that daily is absolutely necessary. What is necessary is that the teacher practices as frequently as possible and as necessary and comfortable for their own bodies, minds, and spirits--and as required by the needs and dictates of their teaching. Teachers who teach only once a week, as a pleasure and a joy, who are not striving to be professional yoga educators with extensive knowledge of the process--may not need daily practice to teach such a class effectively. Whereas, a teacher who teaches often, usually needs the support of practice to help them teach more, to better their teaching to suit the needs of their teachings and the needs of their students.
I like daily practice myself. And, my practice is broken up in to parts. Of course, i have the daily asana part--which can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours on any given day. But, i do have other parts such as scriptural study, meditation, pranayama, study of asanas (modifications, explorations and experimentation in my own body, as well as study from various books, q and a with my teachers, etc), and chanting. Any of these elements may be 10 minutes to 2 hours of themselves.
And beyond this, i'm constantly putting together sequences, themes and ideas for workshops and series of classes, working on my videos and the required stuff around that, and so on. All of this also feeds my teaching--and it takes a lot of research, practice, and other elements to come together.
|
|
| |
Teachers' practice habits
