Yoga is not like any other form of exercise.
In most forms of exercise the body leads with the support of the mind. In Yoga, it’s the reverse: The mind leads and the body follows as support.
This is why at the beginning of a Yoga class an experienced teacher starts with grounding the student, entering them into the present moment with breath work and encouraging them to set an intention, or a Sankalpa. Sankalpa, a Sanskrit term translates to "intention" or “resolve".
When I first started teaching yoga 25 years ago I was full of ego. I wanted my students to think I knew my stuff. I showed off my great knowledge of the positions or Asanas using both English and Sanskrit names, the cuing, the biomechanics, the creative flows. It was pretty much half way about me and half way about my student and it made me uncomfortable.
Over the decades I have developed enough confidence in my thousands of poses and variations, the cues and counterposes, so that even if I freeze, there is a deep reservoir to turn to. Besides the poses don’t really matter and no one expects the teacher to be a physical therapist, fluent in Sanskrit, and a choreographer. That’s on me, when I used to worry about all that. It’s kind of like a popularity contest back in high school, and there’s never a winner in that strategy.
What I know now as a 67 year old teacher who has taught over 1000 classes since 2004 to all levels and ages, is that Yoga has a purpose unlike any other form of exercise. The goal for most students in Yoga is to feel better mentally with the aid of their own bodies. Added benefit is they do get stronger and more flexible but it is never just about that. They want to learn, grow and deal with life as best they can. They want to laugh. It turns out my outgoing and unique personality, compassion, curiosity and love of sharing is far more important than my knowledge of poses and transitions.
It’s why Yoga always included studying and bringing forth the gurus of spiritualism , like Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzburg. It’s why Yoga gives a mouthpiece to the Ancient Bagadavida, and continues to celebrate the ideas of The Dalai Lamas, Ram Dass, Tara Brach, Pema Chodron, to name just a few spiritual leaders. The list of gurus is endless, but the goal is the same. For many, myself included, Yoga is the only Spiritual part of one’s life, to guide and assist us through ups and downs, especially when Religion often does not fit the bill.
So now, before I begin teaching a class I offer an inspiration, a message that has recently helped me, in addition to asking my students to find their own. It’s why Yoga is always there to help.
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