I have been enrolled in an advanced yoga studies program and teacher training for the past 2 years. I need 10 hours of teaching a class in order to register for yoga alliance teaching certification. I've been procrastinating this portion of the program since I am terrified of standing in front of class to explain and guide students in an asana practice. Terrified. I can happily say that I have finished teaching 2 classes as of Friday night. One of the teacher's in the training program asked me months ago if I would be interested in teaching a class at the space she teaches at, Mystical Sciences Institute. I'm glad I'm there. What I like about teaching there is that it is not a gym or fitness center since I regard yoga as a spiritual discipline and not a form of physical fitness. MSI isn't a yoga studio which is nice. Students come to me because they want to learn and there's not many yoga teachers there. I'm learning a lot thru teaching. All I know of yoga is from my personal practice. While in classes we use props and I could never explain what I physically was doing, I just...did it. Now I have to verbalize this practice which is an educational experience because I'm approaching the asana practice with words and not just my body and personal insight. I feel like I'm not just going back to the basics, but approaching the basic with a new light. I'm learning about how to approach the practice to students that do know. For example, I'm noticing that the classes I taught were focused on asanas and sequencing. When I construct my next class I want to integrate more Iyengar / props into specific actions I want them to experience. Like:
- The four corners of the feet
- Rolling the thighs inward
- Pressing the front of the thighs to the back of the thighs
I feel so silly that I forgot to demonstrate with props all these helpful aspects of the asanas. Ah well. I love approaching from this aspect. It keeps me on my toes so that I can fully understand the practice.
