Time to start working on a couple more YTT assignments...

9. Teach 4 Yoga Classes
Note to Summer Intensive participants: this portion is to be done after the 3-week-training.
Teach at least 4 yoga classes (45 to 90 minutes each) to friends, relatives or students. Take a risk and share your passion for yoga. Write approximately half page per class describing your experience. What did you appreciate about how you taught, and what was your teaching edge (challenge)? What did you learn? 2-3 pages.

September 4, 2008

Today I taught my first post-teacher training yoga class in Waterloo Park. I emailed a group of friends who I thought might me interested and told them to invite others. A group of 15 showed up! That was surprising and exciting. We found a lovely spot on the boardwalk by the pond, and I think everyone really enjoyed practicing outside. It was a mixed group or students some of who have studied for several years in various styles and a few newbies. It was challenging to try to teach to all levels, making it basic enough yet giving the more advanced students some challenge.

What I appreciated about the way I taught was my enthusiasm and my love for yoga. Not everyone was relaxed to start off, but my the middle when everyone was working their abs to the max people were loosing up and relaxing and I was able to like some humor and light-heartedness shine through in my teaching. This is the best part of teaching- when you can really convey how fun yoga is and share your passion and enthusiasm. I feel that the more experience and comfortable I get with alignment, breath and sequencing instruction the more this can flow naturally.

This email from one of my students and my response help to convey my teaching edge (my challenge and place to work on)….

hi L.
great class this morning. i really liked the rest at the end and all the feedback.
you're probably aware of this already, but the one thing i'd suggest is being a little more sensitive to whether people prefer to be corrected verbally or by touch. if there's a way for you to correct posture without addressing me by name, that would be my preference. overall though, i enjoyed the class. i hope you'll let me know if you're doing any more, or if you begin teaching through a studio (or WYC)...

hey T.
thanks for coming this morning and for your feedback.

knowing when its better to make verbal or physical adjustments is something we talk about a lot in teacher training. it takes much practice as well as intuition to know what would be more effective for someone. in my training we're taught to use both so we can reach both kinesthetic and auditory learners- so i guess it just takes time to figure out how different people in your classes respond best.
i also appreciate knowing that you prefer to be corrected without using your name. i'm sorry if you felt i was singling you out. naming people for adjustments and enhancements to the posture is also tricky. we're taught to give general adjustment terms if we see several people who could benefit from the adjustment. if its just one person in specific needs the adjustment, or if someone didn't get the more nuanced instruction to the group we're taught to kindly instruct them individually, in order to be quick and effective. i agree with the way i've been taught, but definitely recognize that it's an area that i can work on cultivating sensitivity with. and also just getting to know individual students will help me know their learning preferences and how they respond best. - so thanks for being honest and making the figuring out easier for me!

if you have another other feedback ever, i really appreciate it. and i'll definitely keep you in the loop when i teach again, and if i find any gigs at local studios!

cheers,
leena