I've been hitting up a lot of "new" studios lately. Mostly because I didn't even know some of these places existed (which is ridiculous, how could I have missed Virayoga?! Or Yogamaya for that matter, considering Laughing Lotus was the first studio I ever went to and the lovely Bryn Chrisman whom used to work at LL is now the Studio Director Yogamaya. Also, Revolution Yoga in Rockville Centre, near where I live in Long Island, how did I miss that place!?) but really I've been going to different studios so that I can learn from all kinds of teachers so it can help me cultivate my teaching style.
I'm really glad I found these places, despite it being a little late, now I have all these options after work; in case I'm too late for a class at one studio, there's another class at another studio nearby. Once it's past 7 or 8 I'm kind of S.O.L. but, it's nice to know I have options if I do get out of work on time!
It's been cool to get to experience all these different teachers and different styles and I've had all good experiences at all of the aforementioned studios. But, since I've been out of my comfort zone going to new studios, I guess I've been more hyper-aware of things I like and don't like concerning the way different teachers like to work.
Sadie Nardini recently asked her students on her Facebook Fan page to list some things that some Yoga teachers have done that they didn't like in class. Everything from "the Yoga Voice" (you know, when they speak in a low, soft tone, in an attempt to make you feel calm, in a completely unnatural way that only makes you kind of nervous?) to mentions of teachers trying to push them into "deeper" versions of poses when their bodies aren't ready for it, came up.
It wasn't a question merely to let us air our grievances about bad Yoga classes, so much as an opportunity for students to understand that these annoyances can be lessons for them. Not only that, the responses to Sadie's question hopefully helped some teachers to see that some of the things they are doing are universally damaging to students (like pushing them into a twist or a backbend that their body is not ready for, or getting way too deep into personal troubles when talking in class to the point that it is putting negative energy on the students). And hopefully it helped students gain perspective on where teachers are coming from, and will help have a little more patience when they find themselves trapped in a studio with a teacher that makes them feel like they want to punch something or someone (really, yeah, it's happened to me, I'll tell you about it in a minute.)
I want to keep reminding myself of these things as I begin to practice teaching to different groups of people, every class is different and within the classes the students are wildly different. Knowing I can't please all the people all the time, I have to be myself, just like all the other Yoga teachers.
So, with that, and with the utmost compassion and understanding for the teachers guilty of these things:
(**also, please note, none of the studios I mentioned earlier are guilty of these things, so, get your booties to those studios as soon as you can because they all were great!**)
Top 3 Yoga Class Faux Pas That Really "Chap My Asana"
1. Teach a generic class. It's always disappointing to be stuck in a class with a teacher that you can tell is, for whatever reason, not giving their all. Sometimes it's the physical practice that they've put together is boring, redundant or not challenging/too challenging. Sometimes their "intention" seems to be uninspired, sometimes the "intention" is just a quote from The Yoga Sutra uttered in the beginning and at the end of class in a soft "yoga voice", but they've made no practical connection so their students can take that wisdom and use it in their life. Sometimes there is no intention at all, sometimes teachers just have us get right into Down Dog and act like it isn't really upsetting for our not-warmed-up-at-all shoulders.
Whenever I'm in a class with a teacher that seems to be phoning it in, or seems to be just plain phony, I just try to remember to have compassion. Maybe they've just had a really bad day/week/month. Maybe they're just a new teacher and don't know how to communicate or are scared to communicate authentically lest they offend someone. Yoga teachers are just people, they are not these all-knowing, always centered, super-human beings that some people assume they must be. The idea of Guru vs. Student relationship always perplexed me, because I think we should all be striving to expand our minds and learn and grow, from everyone and every situation, I don't think learning ever ceases, and I think that teachers can learn from students their entire careers.
2. Fail to have a mindful playlist/mix CD for their class. Let me just preface by saying that I know the breath and Yoga are the most important aspects of a class, but if you're going to bother to play music, I think you need to be aware of how the music and the mood/tones of the songs can either be integrated into the theme of the class (sonically or lyrically), or just be jarring and distracting.
I have a very eclectic, varied taste in music. Just before on the train I was listening to Marilyn Manson's Portrait of an American Family, then I got the sudden urge to listen to some P-Funk. But I know that I can't teach a class and have a song like Cake and Sodomy on my playlist unless I am holding a class called "Metal Yoga" (hmmm...I should definitely do that one day...anyway...) and then everyone knows what to expect. I think it's possible to have very different genres in the same playlist if you create a flow between songs and the tempo of the songs build with the energy of the class (Creating a kick-ass Yoga Playlist is another entry, don't worry, it's coming soon!)
But what bothers me more than a song that seems out of place, studios that use the same iPod and play the same exact songs. Every. Single. Class. I would rather them play nothing at all then feel like I'm experiencing my own real-life Groundhog Day.
Also, be mindful of what you play while students are in Savasana, especially. I really, really love the song Songbird by Fleetwood Mac, but there was a teacher (who happens to be one of my favorites despite this!) that I had that would play it sometimes in Savasana, and it always made me tear up a little (and if I was already emotional it was more than just tearing up), that song is just so sweet. But I wasn't able to enjoy Savasana because I was having this deep emotional response to hearing Christine McVie's lovely voice sing these heart-wrenching lyrics. It's probably best to play songs without any lyrics in Savasana, or just have total silence, either one will be less distracting than a song with lyrics.
3. Threaten to keep the entire class in a difficult pose until every last person gets into the full pose. (or, basically, any form of aggression when it comes to getting students to do challenging poses)
Maybe it was just a joke, but, I once went to a class with a teacher that liked to do opposite elbow-to-knee Navasana (boat pose) crunches (which I like to do too, actually!). But before we got into the reps, the teacher had us hold full Navasana for what seemed like a million years. The teacher demanded that everyone's legs be straight and that they "won't start doing the reps until everyone's legs are perfectly straight". While they may have been just kidding (which, I don't think they were since they literally stared down everyone with bent knees until they straightened their legs) it is beyond off-putting, and seems to go against everything Yoga stands for, to me, to force students to do something that might hurt them. I just think if you're going to joke like that, then you should also mention the variations of the pose for people that aren't able to do the full pose. As a teacher you should encourage students to push and challenge themselves, but not to do anything for which their bodies are not prepared.
I'm assuming this teacher forgot about the fact that Navasana requires a very strong core to hold without placing the hands on the floor by the hips and/or bending the knees for extra low-back support. If one's core is not strong enough to hold the full pose, then the weight of the pose is transferred to the low back, and that is not healthy for anyone no matter what kind of shape they're in.
Thankfully I don't experience these issues too often anymore, I'm lucky enough to live and work near some really great studios with some really caring, fun, unique, and intuitive teachers.
The best advice I have for anyone that finds themselves in a class that just isn't right for them, is to just keep a positive, compassionate attitude about it. If the teacher is boring you or not mentally engaging, do what you need to do to make the class more fun for you. If the teacher had no theme or intention for the class, set one yourself. You bring to the mat all the things you love about Yoga. If you get on the mat with a negative attitude, you won't have a fun class, and you'll probably leave more frustrated than when you came in. If you keep your mind open to the possibilities and challenges, it'll be way more rewarding.
I took this picture, someone drew this on the wall in the lobby where I work last week :)
If the poses are too much (or not enough) of a challenge for you, do what you have to do physically to adjust the class to your needs. If a teacher singles you out or is downright abusive because you're making the practice work for your body, ignore them and do what you need to do. And, if you have a choice (which I often don't, as I just have to take whatever class is happening whenever I get off from work, if I get out of work early enough to make any of the classes at the studios nearby) don't go to that teacher's classes anymore. But, what might really serve the teacher, rather than allowing them to go on the rest of their careers being pushy teachers, is either speaking to the teacher directly, or talk to the studio owner if you really don't feel comfortable approaching the teacher.
If the music is distracting or just plain unlistenable to you, you might just have to tune it out, or you can just ask the teacher if they can lower the volume. You can always kindly suggest to the teacher or the studio owner (a lot of places have comment boxes so you don't have to feel awkward about saying anything) after class that they consider changing the music. Also, if you're going to complain about anything in a studio (or anything ever!), make sure you have a suggestion for an alternative :)
So, have fun in class guys! Namasté!
P.S.
What really chaps your asana? I'd love to know, especially because I love helping people whip a negative into a positive ;)
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