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| I teach a 7:00 a.m. class once a week. Our eight-week session just ended yesterday, and the class flowed SO well. Our eight weeks were spent on learning Anjaneyasana and Crescent Moon, along with many supporting and strengthening asanas to prepare their bodies.
Well, yesterday during the closing Sivasana, I led the students through a heart-opening meditation. I could literally feel the love swelling within the room as they envisioned the lotus of their heart center blooming and spreading love all around them. I felt so grateful to be a part of this amazing growth experience and to share the joy of yoga with others. I felt so content and at peace. As we closed the class after sivasana, I was about to share a couple of words of thanks and encourage them to register for the next class.
When I opened my mouth to speak my heart welled up inside of me and I couldn't talk. I have always kept it together in class- never even struggled to do so. But for some reason, I began crying in front of my class...and they weren't tears of sadness or anything- they were tears of joy and gratitude at being a part of such a large, amazing, wonderful experience. I wasn't embarassed, either...or confused...Moreso I was just so surprised at the immensity I felt and the fact that I couldn't contain it. My students were wonderful about it...and encouraging. I felt so light and open after the experience.
Has anyone else ever had an emotional realease in front of students? Has anyone else ever felt this kind of expansive love for the process? I'd really appreciate hearing others' stories.
Namaste and blessings to you all!
Lucinda
Edited by St. Paul Yogini 2006-03-09 10:36 AM
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| Has anyone else ever had an emotional realease in front of students?
no.
Has anyone else ever felt this kind of expansive love for the process?
yes. i'd say i feel this way after the majority of the classes that i teach. i do feel it in a large, general sense, but it gets heightened during class (during kirtan and other practices too). i don't have any direct stories though--none that i can think of off the top of my head. |
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Expert Yogi
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| No, but I am a Vrigo and Iyengi  |
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| I have not had an emotional release since I first started yoga. Sometimes I feel really really great after a class, but I have not cried. Sounds like you had a really great experience with your group. |
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| I've had some pretty intense emotions while on the mat. I'm a student and not a teacher, so it's much easier for me to just sit in the class and not express any of it. |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | This is one of the reason's I took my practice home. My teacher always had these releases in class and I was very sensitive to her and the others. In fact, I had my own releases going on and then having to deal with all that energy in the room was sometimes way too much energy releasing for me to have to deal with. I'm just very in tuned with that sort of thing and picking up that energy and taking it back home was not always a good thing. It really played havoc on my environment. So, that is one of my main reasons for my home practice.
Anyway, I'm going to venture into a deep area here. This is the reason I feel having a guru is important. There are so many elements of Yoga that most Yoga teachers have not tapped into, mastered and performed yet. A real experienced Master knows how to deal with this energy and knows how to protect the students from all the energies being released in the room. Don't get me wrong, I love my Yoga Instructor dearly, she is a great teacher, but she is not experienced completely with some of these higher aspects of yoga, especially when dealing with these kinds of things...not too many people are and not too many understand this concept at all. This is a really advanced concept in yoga and the subject really needs care when discussing it, because it is a very important factor and needs to be understood completely and addressed properly.
Edited by Cyndi 2006-03-10 10:04 AM
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Expert Yogi
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| Cyndi - I am going to jump in the deep end with you here. I think you are right. We don't get a lot of this sort of release happening in Iyengar classes and I believe it is because we are being taught to strengthen the nervous system rather than tap into places we may not be ready to deal with. It is not unheard of - it does happen. Just not often and usually in higher levels of classes where everyone is more able to deal with it. |
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| Oddly enough I've gone the opposite direction of Cyndi. Withdrawing from the situation did not make it easier for me, so I've decided to deal with it directly. |
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| Cyndi, what you say makes sense. I didn't really think of it like that, but now that I am, I have a different perspective. I've always heard that the class is not for the teacher, but for the students. So, if you're having an emotional response, then maybe you are to "into" yourself at the moment. That would be better for home practice, or during a class you are taking, not giving. Want to say more,but have to run. |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | GJ and Kym,
This is the reason I said a guru was real important. It's not about withdrawing and dealing directly with it by yourself and/or the teacher imposing her energy onto the student. It's not like that. It's learning to deal with forces much greater than the average human mind can comprehend and master. These practices are sacred and is not something you can just go dabble in - especially by yourself, it won't be complete, you'll only get a portion of it, a glimpse of it. These forces are real and are very serious. If you're not careful, you can create a monster for yourself and others. These are very advanced techniques and have not been taught in the West, that I know for sure. This is the reason why most Yoga being taught in the west is not considered yoga, but an exercise program. That is why I also stated that it needed to be completely understood and addressed properly...you can only get this type of training and clarity from a *true* Master and/or Sadhguru. Most Guru's wouldn't even talk to you about this and would tell you that you are not ready to receive such information. For now, I would advise most people to leave it alone. I say that from my own experience of having untrained others interfere with me and my practice in the past. It really isn't fun to go through. |
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| Tourist, do you mean you're a Virgo? Virgos are pretty sensitive. |
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| Thank you all for your thoughts. Cyndi, it sounds like you have some bit of experience with this.
I wanted a chance to clarify:
I have NEVER had an emotional release in front of students before. Even when I have felt great emotion or energy I have been self-posessed enough to keep it to myself. I don't believe that it is appropriate for a teacher to have regular or even irregular emotional releases in the classroom setting (in front of students) though it obviously happens. I have always believed that the teacher is there for the students, not for themself.
I can understand on many levels, being an experienced "energy-worker," what you mean by this type of experience and the tools to protect students from the energies in the classroom are not well understood or even understood at all in the west. I disagree with the statement, however, that most Western yoga classes are just considered exercise classes. But then I have a problem with most generalizations.
I'm not sure this leaves anyone with an "answer" but I sure do appreciate this type of honest, thought-provoking discussion here on the boards.
Namaste to all. |
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| Cyndi - 2006-03-10 12:33 PM
It's not about withdrawing and dealing directly with it by yourself and/or the teacher imposing her energy onto the student. .
I didn't mean to say I'd deal with emotional releases by myself. To tell the truth, I only had them when I was grieving the death of a child. For the past 5 years, I've had nothing but good emotions from yoga. What I meant was teaching yoga should not be the same as practicing yoga. Would a person have an emotional release if he/she were focused on the class?
Edited by Kym 2006-03-10 2:16 PM
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Expert Yogi
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | St. Paul Yogini - 2006-03-10 1:59 PM
I wanted a chance to clarify:
I have NEVER had an emotional release in front of students before.
Are you 100% sure about that?? I copied below your original statement and question.
How do you know for sure that the emotional love and/or emotions you released as you stated below wasn't contaminated with impurities among other things?? How do you know that for sure?? Only an enlightened person and a trained Master has that capability. If you were trained and Mastered in this area, it would not be something open for discussion in a casual manner such as on a forum such as this, it is very personal, very deep and is part of the student/teacher relationship. I am not trying to pick a fight with you and I mean no disrespect, I want you to think about your original question and analyse it, thoroughly. It's real important that you do. You very well may have had an authentic experience, but then again, you may not. Personally, if I had this type of experience, I would want clarification by my own guru and it would be a very personal matter, not clarification on an open forum, this is a very deep subject and again, is what I consider to be an advanced stage of the yoga practice.
As for my comments about western yoga studios..notice I used the word "most", not limited to all. Take care,
Cyndi
St. Paul Yogini - 2006-03-09 10:29 AM
Well, yesterday during the closing Sivasana, I led the students through a heart-opening meditation. I could literally feel the love swelling within the room as they envisioned the lotus of their heart center blooming and spreading love all around them. I felt so grateful to be a part of this amazing growth experience and to share the joy of yoga with others. I felt so content and at peace. As we closed the class after sivasana, I was about to share a couple of words of thanks and encourage them to register for the next class.
When I opened my mouth to speak my heart welled up inside of me and I couldn't talk. I have always kept it together in class- never even struggled to do so. But for some reason, I began crying in front of my class...and they weren't tears of sadness or anything- they were tears of joy and gratitude at being a part of such a large, amazing, wonderful experience. I wasn't embarassed, either...or confused...Moreso I was just so surprised at the immensity I felt and the fact that I couldn't contain it. My students were wonderful about it...and encouraging. I felt so light and open after the experience.
Has anyone else ever had an emotional realease in front of students? Has anyone else ever felt this kind of expansive love for the process? I'd really appreciate hearing others' stories.
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Kym - 2006-03-10 2:16 PM
I didn't mean to say I'd deal with emotional releases by myself. To tell the truth, I only had them when I was grieving the death of a child. For the past 5 years, I've had nothing but good emotions from yoga. What I meant was teaching yoga should not be the same as practicing yoga. Would a person have an emotional release if he/she were focused on the class?
Kym,
How can you separate it that way?? An emotional release is just what it is. Teachers are human beings and have experiences too, we are on different levels, but we still have to deal with energy. So, yes to your question. That is not a good or bad thing, it just is what it is. It's what happens to the energy after it has been released and how that energy plays out. There are ways of dealing with that energy, which is why a good solid foundation is needed to teach the practice of yoga. The Teacher is very much responsible for the student's experience, that is why most guru's will not teach before the student is ready and vice versa. It is a karmic responsibility and there are many schools of thought about this within different lineages.
I'll give you a good example, in Tibetan Buddhism, before you can go through certain initiations, you must be prepared and purified by the Master. This process continues long after the intiation takes place. It's not something that is so simple by saying a few prayers and such. It is very powerful stuff and comes with responsibility. This is the responibilty that I'm mostly referring to and I guarantee you most people have never approached this idea in their own practice and/or teacher trainings. Yoga is in its infancy here in the west. That is not an insult that is the truth. When you can accept this and continue on with the practice and/or training, the rest I believe will fall into place, when that time is right. That's all I'm saying. |
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| Cyndi- "Are you 100% sure about that?? I copied below your original statement and question."
Cyndi, the operative word is "before." This was the first time I RELEASED any emotions on the mat in front of students.
Thank you for your insightful comments. No, I do not know that my emotional love and/or the emotions I released were not contaminated with impurities. What do you mean "among other things?"
I hear you that such deep subjects are not open to discussion in a casual forum such as this. I was seeking feedback, which it seems I have gotten. As always I am grateful to the many perceptions a group discussion can bring. I did not give a ton of thought to the consequenses of bringing a "deep" subject to a forum for discussion. It's good to have such constructive feedback, though! Substantive. I like that.
Edited by St. Paul Yogini 2006-03-10 2:46 PM
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| Cyndi - 2006-03-10 12:33 PM
GJ and Kym,
This is the reason I said a guru was real important. It's not about withdrawing and dealing directly with it by yourself and/or the teacher imposing her energy onto the student. It's not like that.
Right, it's about dealing with the people, their processes, and energy. I've spent a lot of time withdrawn from people because I didn't want to deal with it, and I feel it has harmed my growth. I've decided that I'm going to intergrate myself back into society, instead of avoiding it. I reject the notion that you have to be withdrawn from the processes of normal life to get anywhere. I also reject the idea that any special group or person has all the answers. That smacks of elitism.
I also dislike the answer that people shouldn't talk about things in public. People should feel free to talk about whatever they want, so long as it doesn't hurt people's feelings. People have different reactions to different things. There are somethings I don't like to talk about, and some I do. It's a personal choice what I chose to share, and what I don't. If something is deeply personal, then they shouldn't be sharing it. If it's not, then they should feel completely free to talk about it.
One of the greatest strengths of the scientific method is the attitude of free and open communication. The idea that I know something, or have done something, and I want to share it with you. Maybe you know something about it, maybe you don't, but let's compare notes. Together we'll figure out more than if we all avoid sharing our precious little hoarded of knowledge.
In a lot of cases people are struggling with things that don't understand, and they'd like to get some clarity. So they post a question, or describe an event. In may cases they don't have a guru or somebody else to talk to about it, so they come here. Sometimes all they really need to hear is that they're not going crazy, and that other people are struggling with the same things. Sometimes it's a bit more. |
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| Cyndi, how have you dealt with an emotional release in the class?
For that matter, how has anyone dealt with it? I have not had someone cry in my class. Now that I think about it, it was touched on in a YF training, and the message was to be kind, but not to play psychiatrist. |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | I don't want to brush anyone off here, but I really am not comfortable with this subject. This is a very interesting topic though. I don't mean to imply that my experience is greater than anyone's or anything like that. I just have some experience with it and I already stated how I felt about it.
Kym, Yes I have dealt with emotional releases in a class, of course, not just in class, but in life. Like I said before, these releases are personal in nature and should be kept that way. Confirmation and clarification should be taken up with your guru. If you don't have one and are just posting this out in the blue, I'm afraid I can't help you because I don't know you on that level through a computer. I wouldn't dare attempt it because I come from a traditional background that frowns upon this kind of interaction. I feel this is a delicate matter that should be handled with care. This is not about elitism...this is about how people *think* they have experiences and really in fact, they turn out to be delusions, which 99% of them are, with the other 1% percent that is very questionable. Like St. Paul's experience would be interesting to hear what a guru would have to say about that. Don't worry, I've had similar things happen to me too that I thought were so profound, only to discover it was my mind playing tricks on me. Then there are attachment factors to the experience that has to be dealt with properly. Like some people really get high off this stuff and it can be dangerous to the balance of things. Honestly, when you get to an advance stage of your yoga practice, you learn how to not give these things very much energy, if at all. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for something that you may not be able to handle or you might just interfere with the balance of things in your life and possibly others' lives. This has nothing to do with measuring yourself on the yoga scale per se, like I said, yoga in the west is in it's infancy stage, so really we are reaching beyond our capabilities. We need guidance in this department, not more discussion about it...there's lots of discussion without clarity going on and this is what I'm referring to when these types of subjects come up on an open forum or amoungst yoga circles without leadership and guru's. Meanwhile, continue on with your journey and your practice. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear..which my definition of that means to keep practicing and it really does appear like magic. You won't need me or this forum to give you that clarification, it will happen...it will be something in the form of a lightening strike or maybe even a burning bush,  |
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| if someone cries in class, i simply let it happen. i don't take any overt notice of it, per se, and if they ask me about it afterward, i tell them that it's normal to have various sorts of emotional releases during class, and that it's ok to do so. |
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Expert Yogi
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Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | St. Paul Yogini - 2006-03-10 2:44 PM
Cyndi, the operative word is "before." This was the first time I RELEASED any emotions on the mat in front of students.
Thank you for your insightful comments. No, I do not know that my emotional love and/or the emotions I released were not contaminated with impurities. What do you mean "among other things?"
I hear you that such deep subjects are not open to discussion in a casual forum such as this. I was seeking feedback, which it seems I have gotten. As always I am grateful to the many perceptions a group discussion can bring. I did not give a ton of thought to the consequenses of bringing a "deep" subject to a forum for discussion. It's good to have such constructive feedback, though! Substantive. I like that.
Namaste` SPY,
Those other things I was referring to are possibly other emotions and your own releases that could of been hidden in the depths of your being perhaps, who knows. This is where the art of purification could come in handy and perhaps a deeper understanding of what is going on within you. There are so many aspects to this discussion, and I am not trying to invalidate your experience at all, I just think that it would be helpful for you to pursue or have a strong connection to a guru when you start having these kinds of experiences. I could sit here all day long and tell you what they could be, tell you my experience and share what knowledge I do have, but only you yourself knows what lies within you...a guru is someone who helps guide you into the clarity you need to resolve and bring the necessary clarity that is obviously much needed.
I wish you the best on your journey. Good luck and take care,
Cyndi
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Expert Yogi
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| Fifi - I am always surprised when people mention that Virgos are sensitive. I think that is true but we have a strong tendency to intellectualize things to either avoid dealing with the emotions or to mitigate our strong feelings. We have a tendency to not want to have that stuff out in public, except if we are preforming in some way. When I acted in high school and university it was wonderful to be able to tap into those emotions and lay it all out there for everyone to see, because I was "safe" behind the character. I see this when my DS sings onstage as well.
Cyndi - I agree with you about yoga in the west being in its infancy I wonder though, if one of our jobs as western yogis is to bring these practices and experiences into the open. So many practices have been secret for so long and now that they have migrated here, we are opening them up, examining them and finding so much that can be passed on to "regular" people safely. I wonder if this is the age of the householder yogi - as GJ says, many of us just don't want to go off into the wilderness to practice. Certainly Krishnamacharya, BKS and others were householder yogis and have found the path difficult but ultimately rewarding. I don't think for one minute that it will be an easy transition, but perhaps it is a task worth undertaking. Maybe it will save the world. |
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| It would depend on the intimacy of the class if a teacher had an emotional release. In a small class with regular attendees, it probably wouldn't seem too awkward. In a big, gym class with drop-ins and new students, maybe inappropriate. Only b/c it makes the students feel responsible for the teacher. Plus, I can imagine the guys in the class might feel really uncomfortable. [ex: my fiance would roll his eyes  ] |
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| >Fifi - I can imagine the guys in the class might feel really uncomfortable.
How true if I experienced that in class with a teacher or a student. The public display would be a bit much for me but am sure there would be people there for comfort. I’ve seen this happen outside of class, people crying in public, but never experienced a teacher or a student doing this. I had a boss break down and cry in front of the group and it was too weird for words. I don’t think most cultures accept crying in public.
What I do notice every once in a while is an internal anger in people in class. I’m not sure what the teachers think about this or if they feel they need to come to the rescue of that student. The only thing I ever saw was the teacher trying to be as light hearted as possible. I only know of one angry teacher and avoid that one like the plague.
Here’s a link to Cyndi Lee crying in class:
http://www.shambhalasun.com/archives/Columnists/Lee/LeeSep00.htm
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| Cyndi's right that there is the potential for using this as a distraction. There could be a LOT of other things going on, it's very hard to tell. When you have a good guru, or a trusted friend to talk to, they can help you sort these things out.
I'm also reminded of an old zen story. The student has been practicing for a number of years when he suddenly gets a revelation. Lord Buddha himself appears riding on a great cloud with trumpets and hosanas. He looks deep into the students eyes, and touches him once upon the brow. This elevates the student to incredible planes of understand and knowledge. Naturally the student goes rushing in to see his master, and explains the whole thing. The master looks him deep in the eyes and says "If you keep meditating, this will stop happening."
So, when I get some sort of emotional rush, I just watch it and see where it goes. If I feel angry, I do something to let it out. (Listen to angry music, punch a heavy bag, etc) If I feel sad, I sit and feel sad, and depressed. If I feel like weeping I cry (though not in public). If I feel happy, I laugh and tell jokes. Sometimes it's hard to keep it inside, but I really don't want to pull other people into my little dramas, they have their own silly stuff.
You also should take this to mean that nothing happened, or that you didn't have some sort of externally valid experience. Anybody who's been part of a mob can tell you how quickly a group mentality takes over, and cause the individual to feel and do things they wouldn't normally do. The trick is to acknowledge it, feel it, but not get caught up in it.
One of the interesting things about PJ's yoga sutras is that he says that everything is true. That is to say that everything that happens to you is true at that moment. Later on we might find a different or better explaination, but for the moment what you're experiencing is what you're experiencing, for better or for worse. It's very real for you.
The other thing I want to point out is that a lot of the things that were once esoteric are becoming exoteric. Partially with the new wisdom movements in the west, and the attempts to find some sort of meaning, a lot of what was once the secrets of a select few are becoming open knowledge. Some people claim this is part of the "new age", some that it's a necessity to keep us from destroying this planet. I don't know. I do know that secrecy nolonger seems to be the order of the day for wisdom traditions of both of the west and east.
I think this will save a lot of traditions that have, or had the potential to be lost. Yoga is a good example of this. IIRC, it was almost completely lost before Krishnamacharya began teaching it again. In order to get his start he had to learn it from one lone tibetian, who might have been the last yogi, and find a lost manuscript.
I see similar things in the work of HH Dalia Lama. If the Chinese had not conquered Tibet, he would not be roaming the earth. I have no idea how well Tibetian Buddhism was thriving before the invasion, but these days everybody's heard of HHDL, and Tibetian Buddhism is particaly a household term. |
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Teacher's Emotional Release
