Don’t Forget to Be Kind

published in: 2016

 The road to becoming what I believe to be a "good yoga teacher" is long and winding, like the Beatles song. But at the end of the road, some things continue to surprise me. To become an “excellent” yoga teacher, one that students want to return to again and again requires one ingredient over all else: kindness.

 The first years: the basics

 The early years of becoming a teacher are about establishing the poses, the cues, the structure of a class, making the class interesting: flow. It’s essential to learn the body parts and what is being moved, strengthened or relaxed in each pose. This while engaging the students to keep them safe and accommodating to their abilities. Like a choreographer, a good teacher makes the class interesting, moving without pause, developing an arsenal of tools a mile wide.

 The middle years: what comes after mastering the basics

 Once the basics are established, it’s time to build on your confidence with a style that is uniquely yours.  During the middle years you experiment, share more yoga philosophy, try out new music, enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

 The mature years: what I know now is of paramount importance is

 Kindness. By this I mean, my students want to hear kindness in my voice, feel kindness in my thoughts.  They want me to care about how they are experiencing the class.  I know from being a student that when I hear from my teacher “great job” or “beautiful” I feel on top of the world.  When a student has worked hard in a pose or a transition it goes a long way to acknowledge their effort.  On the other side, sensing their frustration with a pose it’s important to meet them where they are with words like, “take a child’s pose, honor yourself”. Yoga is about compassion. Unlike being a cross fit trainer or a boot camp sergeant, the voice of a yoga teacher must exude kindness, while still encouraging. The student comes to yoga to be enveloped in loving kindness, like a long, slow, soft hug. They want to lose what is holding them back and gain what their minds need at that moment. Only yoga has the dual purpose of marrying body work with mind work, and the “great” yoga teacher knows that their words matter. Yoga is not about ego. Both student and teacher must leave ego at the door.  

 Practicing compassion towards yourself each day through yoga will be the most beneficial thing you do for yourself throughout your life. It is this alone that is the heart of Yoga. And it's why time after time, year after year, through ups and downs, YOGA is what is there to help you.