Last night I graduated from
Tranquil Space's 3-and-a-half day level 1 yoga teacher training intensive, a transformative experience. There's so much to digest from the process and all that I learned. Suffering a little from withdrawal today - I want my 8 hours of yoga asana and discussion! - mixed with euphoria from teaching a class practice and, of course, an aching body.
So, what did I learn about yoga and yoga teaching? Here are some thoughts, in no particular order:
- Teaching yoga is as enjoyable and fulfilling as I thought it might be
- It's also physically and mentally demanding. It requires a strong presence; intuition to read the energy of your students; anatomical knowledge; focus to remember your sequence as well as assist students, notice when one needs a bit of help, count the breath of each asana hold, etc.; creativity to design a stimulating practice and playlist; wisdom and life experience so you can share something of value each class
- Giving physical assists to students is very rewarding
- Yoga teaching language is an entirely different method of communication
- Cueing an action before you announce it is vital. On the mat you need a few seconds to prepare before a movement
- There's a fine art to vinyasa sequencing. The precise order of poses elicit particular energies and emotions
- Some of the less-confident students were confident teachers, and vice versa
- I got injured! A freak accident where a fellow student stepped too close to my wrist during a chataranga assist and sliced my skin with her toenail (yes, eww)
- Yoga while pregnant seems impossible. We performed one surya namaskar with bundled-up blankets strapped to our bellies and couldn't believe the difficulty
- I learned a lot about my own practice. Corrected alignment problems, learned the focus and foundation of many poses, and know which areas I need to work on
- Shoulderstand can be performed correctly and safely without a chair. I even enjoyed it
- There has to be a little pressure applied in all learning and growth
- Think of your intention behind your teaching. It pervades everything, from each utterance to your tone to the energy you give off, and it's very evident to your students
- Intention and a specific dedication, even if it's just mindfulness in the movement, are what makes it yoga
- To apply compassion to your students - relating to their pain or struggle - you first must understand your own, and how you fall into your own patterns. Darkness is hopefully something you burn off in asana practice
- Inhalations remind us to step forward into action, exhalations remind us to be present
- All yoga poses need both ease and a steadiness
- My love affair with yoga deepened over the long weekend. It's giving me a lot more back now
I have so far to go with my yoga teaching education. I feel as though I want to read widely and internalise volumes of wisdom before I undertake
Level 2 training, as keen as I am to jump in boots and all. Or is this just my perfectionism standing in the way?
