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 my teacherModerators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 2 3 Now viewing page 2 [25 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
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| ollie |
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| ollie |
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zoebird - 2007-09-27 12:55 PM this is true. for now, though you don't have to share it, what is your reasoning? It goes something like this: in the past, when I've struggled with one aspect of yoga asana or another, my teacher has made it a point to work with me to correct what I was doing wrong. Sometimes, her feedback was rather blunt. So, I feel that I owe her. On the other hand, doing something correctly is important to me; I am not so sure that it is important to her. Her focus is on giving the students a "good work out" and not injuring them in the process. This is why I say this: when we've traveled to another class together, my focus was on enhancing my own practice; hers was to find new stuff for her students to do. I never got the impression that her own practice was all that important to her. As far as staying or leaving; let's just say that my attitude hasn't been all that good every since I took that teacher training (Yoga-Fit); it is almost as if I just stopped caring. Neel cheered me up a bit but I didn't take advantage of that momentum. So, I don't want to blame others for my own internal stuff, and I don't know if my negative reaction to the class reflects my own internal stuff or is a reasonable reaction. (Sorry for the "stream of consciousness writing  ) | |||
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| TampaEric |
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098   Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | |||
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| ollie |
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| ollie |
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| That's ok; I didn't expect that anyone would have. But yoga fit's philosophy is to "bring yoga to the masses" by presenting it as a type of fitness activity in a gym environment. Some people like it, some don't, and some of the expressed opinions have been, well, rather passionate.  Their beginning teachers program make no "personal practice" requirement on prospective students; the emphasis is on being able to lead a class without injuring anyone. | |||
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| Kym |
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ollie - 2007-09-26 11:30 PM I prefer to be told if I am making a mistake because how I do the asanas are important to me. Or, for example, when I am teaching mathematics, I don't mind it if a bright math student shows me an alternate (but correct) way to do a problem. To me telling a teacher she is out of alignment is not really an alternative way. It's simply telling her she sucks.  If I had a teacher that went into a pose in a difficult manner, I might say after class, look at this new way I learned to get into crow-but only if she or he were a good friend. That sounds way more like an alternative to me. Otherwise, to me, like Cyndi said, it's not right. You're the student and she's the teacher. It's her class and you're there to take what you can get out of it. The thing is, your initial post came off as you not being happy with your yoga, or hers. So, I read between the lines and thought you were just going to tear her down to make yourself feel better. Then, you went on to joke that she's "on the dark side" and then I was sure you don't really like her professionaly (sp?) and telling her she was out of alignment was not coming from a good or helpful place. Also, I completely agree with Cyndi. You are there as a student. She's the teacher. She's got her own teachers. If she doesn't, then eventually, your own practice will require a new teacher. There is nothing wrong with changing teachers. My first teacher is someone I loved and now I work with her. But, she's not my teacher anymore b/c I like more challenging asana that she offers. I can only speak from my experience with YF, and I have no way of knowing if this is what you're feeling. After my first training, I felt less confident and very confused, and inadequate. I taught my 8 hours and decided I was a terrible teacher and it turned me off to practicing b/c I had this goal in mind, and now felt I had failed and made a huge mistake. I felt trapped between wanting to be a yoga teacher, and not thinking I was good enough, but better than the average student and still deep down felt like I could be a better teacher than the current teachers in my circle. So, I sat on it for about a year. Then I took the second level and it all clicked for me. I got a job and took off. I still felt shaky with my teaching, but I knew I was doing the right thing. I forgave myself mistakes I made in class (like grouping asanas that didn't flow very well) and I learned. And I learned and learned and I learned. I will never stop learning. But, in the beginning, I couldn't cope with not knowing everything all at once. The reason I take the time to point this out, is b/c I was critical of other teachers during that time. I'd get mad when they brought pilates in, or did some other non-pure yoga. Who knows-this may not be at all what you're feeling, but I thought I'd take the time to share that I had some issues after training, too. Oh, and I'm not critical anymore. I've come to realize that even if I don't click with a teacher, there is *always* something to learn. One more thing-I have no problem at all with a teacher who goes to a training motivated to learn more for her/his students. I love my peeps and I want to learn new things for more for them than me. TamaErci-Yes, it's designed primarily for gyms, but can certainly be taught in a studio. In fact, as the training goes on, and you read the Sutras and the Gita, there is plenty that I learn, but leave out of my gym. I occasionly sprinkle "stuff" in, but I actually got a giggle when I talked about Nadi's! Oh well, it's all good.Edited by Kym 2007-09-27 10:21 PM | |||
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| ollie |
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| Kym |
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| If it makes you feel any better, many people who take level 1 never take level 2, and never end up teaching. You are an example of that, in fact! People take that training for all different reasons and go on to various things in their lives. A level 2 looks a whole lot different, as does a level 3, 4 and so on. The YF people say the most difficult training to teach is level 1 b/c of all the wildly various different places people are in. Maybe you should consider opening your heart a bit and be more accepting of people in their own journey. I too appreciate a teacher who is clearly very skilled, but we can't all be the best of the best. And, I may be going out on a limb here, but I think even if you took a Purple Lotus or any other kind of 200-500 program, the first weekend would look similar in terms of asana and knowledge base. I went to training to learn, not because I already knew it all. | |||
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Kym - 2007-09-28 8:16 AM Maybe you should consider opening your heart a bit and be more accepting of people in their own journey. I too appreciate a teacher who is clearly very skilled, but we can't all be the best of the best. Ok, I'll make an "I" statement: "I" want to take classes from someone who can do the asanas well. And, I may be going out on a limb here, but I think even if you took a Purple Lotus or any other kind of 200-500 program, the first weekend would look similar in terms of asana and knowledge base. I went to training to learn, not because I already knew it all. 1) I understand that some programs want you to have an established personal practice going in. I think that is a reasonable requirement. 2) Even if things look the same at the beginning of a 200-500 hour program, they would probably look VERY DIFFERENT at the end; that wasn't the case here. Frankly, I don't care what others do on "their own journey"; that is none of my business. But there are some atmospheres that I enjoy, and others that I don't. Not every program is for everyone (nor should be) and I found one that wasn't for me. I'll conclude by saying the following: I prefer atmospheres where friends hold each other accountable; where people try to bring out the best in one another and in themselves. I don't like "enabling" atmospheres. | |||
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442    | ollie - you are a very clear thinker. Must be that math background  The whole issue here (as far as your original question goes) is, I think, your relationship with your teacher. If my teacher showed a serious change in her poses consistently, I would be really worried and would eventually have to ask her if she was ok. Even when she has had injuries, she has accommodated in class and either modified or had a student demo. Your teacher doesn't come from the same background and probably has never been as dedicated to alignment as my teacher, so there is a difference right there. And, as you say, your relationship is in flux, so it is probably not appropriate to bring up the topic. The YF thing is a whole different ballgame. I think that, no matter what style of training, it can be quite a challenge to our practice after the first one. I did fine through training but am still struggling since certification. Kym described the mental/emotional disturbance quite well. I think you know that yoga is important to you and you'll find a way to continue, perhaps (well, probably) without your first teacher. Keep us up to date on your journey.  Kym - without trying to open the usual can o' worms here, It is gratifying to know that many of those first time, non-experienced YF students don't go on to teach. It is still a bit scary to me that some do... | ||
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| i think it's an interesting observation after training that most people have--that balancing teaching and practicing is difficult AND that having this new 'awareness' or way of thinking about yoga (thinking about it critically, as in 'critical thinking skills' or 'problem solving') makes practicing that much more difficult. what i recommend to people who want to take teacher training is that they develop a strong, independent practice. once one starts teaching, they may discover that their opportunities to take classes have 'dried up.' by that, i mean that many people take class twice a week--and that is their practice and that is good. butt hen they take teacher training, and they teach one day a week and then they practice the other--because that's what their schedule allowed in the past and therefore is what it allows now. and some will teach on both nights--and so they have 'no practice' and it's hard to get motivated to get into the habit of doing it at home, where there are often many distractions. thus, t hey choose between practicing or teaching. some will choose practicing, some will choose teaching, and some will discover some way to do both (whether at home practice, or only teaching that one time a week, or opening up another spot in their schedule). it's interesting to observe. i think that the other thing that happens is that many people take yoga and 'enjoy' class. they don't have to think much about sequencing, alignment, etc--the teacher does this for them. they can just go, be in the moment or flow of that class, and enjoy that time. it's a time to relax, a time for themselves. but then, teacher training teaches them to analyze what is going on. the mind comes in, and they begin observing teacher, students, sequencing, their own alignment. instead of being 'fun time' to enjoy themselves (which is important, valuable, and healthy), yoga becomes an analytical time, another aspect of 'work' and practice might loose it's sweetness because the mind is now involved in analyzing everything (and sometimes that also slips into self-judgement). so, these people find themselves in a tight spot trying to find the balance between pure practice and analytical practice. for my own part, i divide the two. i have what i call my "practice" and then i have my "teaching practice." one is in the morning; the other in the afternoon. and when i'm in a class with my teacher, it's a combination of both. it's just pure being with that teacher and sequence, while also making 'mental notes' of questions, feelings, alignments, sequencing, etc--but without judgement of that material. i have good recall of sequencing, for example, even in a 4 hour class, because i hit a mental "record" button in my brain. i simply do the class, with devotion to the teacher, and then at the end, i write down everything that we did and double check withthe teacher to make sure it's right. i recommend this to my apprentices--but it is hard to find this balance and figure out how to make it work for yourself. and, it's also ok to 'grow out of' teachers. as i said, i hoep my students 'grow out of me' all the time. | |||
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| OrangeMat |
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Kym - 2007-09-28 9:16 AM If it makes you feel any better, many people who take level 1 never take level 2, and never end up teaching. You are an example of that, in fact! People take that training for all different reasons and go on to various things in their lives. A level 2 looks a whole lot different, as does a level 3, 4 and so on. The YF people say the most difficult training to teach is level 1 b/c of all the wildly various different places people are in. Maybe you should consider opening your heart a bit and be more accepting of people in their own journey. I too appreciate a teacher who is clearly very skilled, but we can't all be the best of the best. And, I may be going out on a limb here, but I think even if you took a Purple Lotus or any other kind of 200-500 program, the first weekend would look similar in terms of asana and knowledge base. I went to training to learn, not because I already knew it all. I only got as far as Level 3, and that's when I knew it wasn't for me. I was very excited when the training's syllabus said we'd be learning about the benefits of a home practice, journaling, the ethics of being a teacher and the yamas and niyamas. Well, maybe the particular instructor I had for that training didn't receive the same syllabus as I did, because aside from a cursory overview of the yamas and niyamas, we didn't cover any of those subjects. From the sound of it, it seems you got the full course, and so maybe my less than satisfying experience was not the norm. I really hope that was the case. | |||
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ollie - 2007-09-28 7:44 AM But on the other hand, much of my reaction was "Yuck! Just anyone can do this!" The workshop leader was ok, but when we did the "trainees demonstrating the asanas" section, let's just say that a beginner doing the asanas that way is fine, but I'd never return to a class when the teacher was doing them on that level, unless it was the case that it was a wise 70-80 year old guru in declining health, etc.) I have the (quaint? elitist?) notion that one ought to be good at something before they can teach it. Maybe this is truly what's meant by their slogan of "bringing yoga to the masses"? Seriously, Ollie, if I hadn't already been versed in fitness (though not in group instruction, as most everyone else was who attended the workshops), I would've been clueless and turned off as well at this point. The YF training is primarily for group fitness instructors who want to branch out and teach yoga at their gyms as well. It is not for yoga students who want to deepen their practice. It is also not for yoga students who want to learn to be teachers. That's why having no previous experience with yoga is totally fine for their level 1 workshop. If only they just came out and said so explicitly on their website. Now please understand, I don't mean to say that it's not possible to do the YF 200-hr training and become a good, or even great, yoga teacher. I'm just talking about what the objectives of the program are (as I experienced them 3-4 years ago) and the type of participants it draws to itself. In the promotional material, YF claims its trainings are for those who wish deepen their practice. This was the part with which I feel YF failed me, and for that reason I abandoned it and found a yoga studio at which to practice. As I said in my first post on this thread, I went elsewhere. But I never would've known to even go in the first place if I hadn't attended the trainings that I did. So in that respect, YF was a positive experience for me, because without it, I never would've known any yoga. One more thing... I'm remembering now meeting a few individuals who were already yoga teachers who attended the level 1 workshop. They said they were taking it just for the YA affiliation that their studios now required, even though they had been teaching yoga for a number of years. I remember specifically one woman advising me that this was definitely not the end-all and be-all training, and that I should study much more past this workshop. I was so green, I hadn't learned a proper chaturanga yet (and didn't even know it wasn't called crocodile!). | |||
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It [YF] is also not for yoga students who want to learn to be teachers. That's why having no previous experience with yoga is totally fine for their level 1 workshop. Except me. I must be the only one. Oh, good grief!  | |||
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| I say that in fun. | |||
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | It is all a long and winding road, this yoga stuff, isn't it? BKS talks about yoga all being part of a big tree. Some of us are on one limb, some on other limbs, different limbs sprout out from the trunk and whatnot, but we all are still part of the tree. | ||
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