Chapter one: dangerous liaisons
If you've ever found yourself in the grip of a yoga dilemma, you're not alone. Each month, our resident yoga agony aunt turns your yogi-woes into yogi-yeses with sage yoga advice cultured by years of experience as both a teacher and a student.
In our first instalment, we investigate the appropriate course of action when you love your teacher, but the class is putting you in a dangerous position (literally).
Q:
“I’ve been regularly attending a yoga class and have got quite friendly with the teacher. We’ve seen each other socially a couple of times and really hit it off. But now I’ve found myself in a moral conflict as I keep incurring injuries from her classes. I think it's because she’s teaching postures in an odd order - often starting with more advanced ones right from the get go and rushing through sequences. I'm concerned about approaching her with this. I don't want to upset her and jeopardise a friendship in its infancy. What should I do?
A:
It’s hard to take a diplomatic stance when the matter at hand has such a profound undercurrent of interconnectivity, union, surrender and acceptance. Plus, when there are intimate emotions involved, it becomes even harder to be brave and speak up.
Yoga teachers aren’t a flawless community – we make mistakes from time to time but the fact you’re repeatedly feeling damage to your body does signify that something might be off.
Firstly, ask yourself how well you know the teacher – subtracting the person out the equation. What are their qualifications and credentials? How long have they been teaching? Are they registered with any governing bodies, like Yoga Alliance or British Wheel of Yoga? What disciplines are they trained to teach?
Often, teachers lead styles of yoga they aren’t formally trained in. Although this may seem irrelevant, the discipline they’re actually trained in will affect how they teach other disciplines. While the underlying principles of yoga remain the same across genres, they ultimately impact the application of discipline. For example, if your teacher is trained in Ashtanga but is teaching Yin, they will be more familiar with momentum and the principle of repetition and challenge to increase a meditative state. That's a key principle Ashtanga orbits - unlike the mild tempered sibling style of yin that commands restoration and a slower pace. Our teaching applications are intrinsic to what and how we practice and shouldn't necessarily be woven into a community class.
If credentials aren’t a concern, examine how the class is conducted. Is there a warmup period, integrating asana like cat-cow, inviting you to generate heat and wake up your body? Throughout the class, is there a natural “build”?
Most teachers work in sequences that build up to a “peak” pose or more complex choreography. On the same vein, there should also be a natural decline. You should feel the momentum taper off and the class become temperate before you end in a final Savasana. Other points to consider about your teacher and class is their level of engagement with students throughout. Are they walking round and adjusting/supporting, or are they bound to their mat, static and cuing while demonstrating every single posture? Do they offer counter postures to bring equanimity to the body? Are variations discussed? There's lots of verbal information disclosed during a class serving as a key indicator whether or not your teacher is leading a safe and effective class.
Counter postures and adjustments exhibit knowledge and experience and contribute to your physical safety in class. And please be assured that your safety should be paramount to any teacher, regardless of the style they’re teaching. Injuries happen and they are devastating for both student and teacher. But there are simple ways they can be avoided, like those mentioned above and, if your teacher is adequately and appropriately trained, they should be actively integrating them in their classes.
Lastly, it might be worth considering how you practice as well. Teachers can misguide students – especially if they aren’t cueing clearly or adjusting when necessary – and this can lead to bad body habits. Often, we push ourselves to achieve results and get “better” at yoga – even when our bodies aren’t ready. So, take a long hard look at your teacher but also get curious about how you move in practice too. Your body is unique to you, ensure you're practicing postures within the parameters of good form, but in a way that's suited to your anatomy.
Maybe the class level isn’t right for you but, equally, maybe the teacher isn’t teaching in an effective way. Yoga is creative and subjective, but credible teacher trainings offer a formula for classes conducive to physical safety. I have a febrile belief that a yoga class should be the most enjoyable hour of a student’s day or week – and keeping them safe is the gateway to them relaxing and having fun. After all, students instil an unspoken trust in their teachers and expect to be kept safe during their class.
Have a think about the above and, if these points resonate with you, speak to your teacher. Approach it dogmatically and with consideration. Be assured that any teacher worth their salt should welcome student feedback and take it on board, without letting their ego flare up and take over. Even teachers get into bad habits and need a wake up call every now and then.
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