The Yoga Space Teaching Manual & Workbook 2010

Transcription

1 The Yoga Space Teaching Manual & Workbook 2010 Jean Byrne, The Yoga Space Please do not reproduce without permission.

2 What happens when your soul Begins to awaken Your eyes And your heart And the cells of your body To the great Journey of Love? First there is wonderful laughter And probably precious tears And a hundred sweet promises And those heroic vows No one can ever keep. But still God is delighted and amused You once tried to be a saint. What happens when your soul Begins to awake in this world To our deep need to love And serve the Friend? O the Beloved Will send you One of His wonderful, wild companions ~ Like HaNiz. Ha#iz ( ) The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

3 Contents Notes on Being a Teacher The Teacher Student Relationship The Classroom Intention, Alignment & Effort Class Sequencing & Planning Language of Yoga Breathing p4 p5 p6 p7 p10 p13 p14 The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

4 Notes on Being a Teacher: The most important aspect of being a teacher is being a student. All good teachers have a teacher, an unbroken line of parampara. Parampara refers to the succession of teachers in a lineage, a way in which knowledge and experience is transmitted from teacher to student. It is necessary to Nind yourself a teacher who inspires you in your journey of self discovery. One who has walked their own path, and continues to live their yoga both on and off the mat. Without a teacher we can very easily become lost in the ocean of dukkha, (suffering or dissatisfaction). Your teacher can be young or old, male or female, but the most important quality in a teacher is that they themselves practice, and that they cultivate a sense of kindness and respect towards their students. This does not mean they are in anyway permissive. Our teacher must be both Nierce and strong, loving and compassionate. A teacher who regular puts you down, criticises you or is demeaning in speech or behaviour is not a teacher who can help you touch and remember your true nature, as fearless, abundant, loving, expansive and connected. Teachers such as this feed into our negative schemas and core beliefs that many of us hold about not being good enough and not being lovable. Choose a teacher who is both strong and loving. Once you have chosen a teacher and lineage, it is of utmost important to have faith in your teacher. Allow yourself to open and surrender to their teachings (within reason of course!). If you have chosen the right teacher you will learn a lot and if you have chosen the wrong teacher (one who is ethically dubious) then you will still learn a lot, albeit in a different way. But without faith in our teacher and our own practice we can not touch and understand our own true nature Teach only that which you have learnt and experienced for yourself. Allow your own experience of practice and Truth to guide you. When you teach, be present completely with your students. Honour them by offering to them respect and recognition of their personal becoming. Honour them as a manifestation of the universe, even if this is difnicult with a particular student. Allow them to teach you about yourself, your opinions, thoughts, reactions, and presumptions. Create the space for them to know themselves as they are, not as you wish or want them to be. When you say Namaste to them, mean it know that the divine which you are, sees the divine which they are also. I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and in thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world. Lao Tzu The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

5 The Teacher Student Relationship At its best the relationship between teacher and student can be a profound one, by which we learn more about ourselves, each other, and our mutual interconnectedness. At its worst the teacher student relationship can be painful, damaging and spiritually wounding. It is important as a teacher to know that we are no better or worse as people than our students. We are all simply a manifestation of consciousness, housed in different bodies and minds with differing temperaments. Each with our own samskaras and karma to work with. Hopefully as those who have been living the path of yoga for some time we have something of our own experience to share with our students. They equally can share with us. It is necessary to realise that although we may be able to see ourselves and our students equally as manifestations of the divine, it is unlikely that our students will feel this equity. Students will look to us for guidance, will perhaps put us on a pedestal, will have expectations of us, and will be more vulnerable and open in their relating then they may be to a family member, friend or work colleague. This essentially means that we are in a position of power, and sadly those who have power are often blind to this fact. We have the power to facilitate a students deepening of their awareness, we also have the power to deeply hurt our students and turn them away from inquiring deeper into yoga and themselves. Because the student teacher relationship is sacred it is never appropriate to have a sexual relationship with your students. Just as doctors, psychologists, counsellors and other types of health professionals are unable to have relationships with their students, yoga teachers cannot ethically engage in a relationship with a student. Yoga teachers are often very intimately acquainted with their students, not just psychologically (as in the case of a psychologist) or physically (as in the case of a doctor), but also spiritually. Because the trust inherent to being a teacher is such a big responsibility, attraction to students should be approached with caution. Should you feel a serious affection for a student, which grows over time, it is recommended that they attend a different class and that after a period of 3 months not being your student you might carefully explore the attraction. Also know that the relationship between student and teacher is not one of reciprocity. Your role is to give without any expectation of anything in return. Therefore only give what you can give of yourself freely, without this expectation. Most of all know how sacred this relationship is and always honour it as such. In doing so you honour yourself, your students and yoga. Oh divine master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive It is in pardoning that we are pardoned St Francis of Assisi The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

6 The Classroom: space for self transformation Physical Environment It is important to try and minimise the internal and external noise as much as possible in your yoga classes. However in some contexts (such as gyms) this is not always possible. Regardless of where you hold your class it is essential that the space in which you teach is clean and tidy. Be sure to make sure shoes are not worn, and that you sweep the Nloor before your class. Mats should also be clean and washed regularly. It is also important to make sure that your yoga space does not smell of sweat. If we are encouraging people to breath deeply we always need to be sure there is some fresh air (even a door or window just slightly ajar in winter). Consider burning incense before class, but not in the room during, as it is difnicult to breathe well with incense. A good alternative is an aromatherapy burner or infuser. Be sure to not have a space that is too big as it is difficult to heat, cool and the energy of a class can be diffuse. The ideal maximum number of students in a class is for the beginning teacher. Setup and Orientation In traditional practices, such as surya namaskar we face the direction of the sunrise or sunset. However the most general principle of orientation is that every person in your class should be in a position in which they can see you. This means you need to sometimes move to the sides and back of the room so they can see you. There shouldn t be walls, poles or equipment blocking their view of you. Props If you use props always be sure that they are in good working order and that you have a sufnicient number of props to do the variations you wish to do in each posture. Store them safely away from the main practice area. If you have a dedicated space it is best to provide mats for students to use ( hiring a yoga mat is not a trend I am excited about). Once students are practicing regularly be sure to encourage them to purchase their own mat for health reasons (ie; hygiene). Records For insurance purposes it is necessary to record the name of each student that attends your class. This record should be stored safely for the future in case there is an issue pertaining to a specinic class. You should also ask students to complete a registration form on which they detail their injuries. The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

7 Intention, Alignment & Effort Intention What is the intention for our yoga practice? What are our student s intentions? How doe our intention inform our practice? What is sankalpa and how do we understand the integration of sankalpa into our yoga practice, yoga teaching and life? We have all observed the ways in which our mental intentions and attitudes create our reality. Without an intention to open and surrender to our practice and ourselves on a given day we can become stuck in negative thought patterns, or a supernicial understanding of the body and what yoga is. To fully experience yoga, to reap the benenits of this practice, ultimately we must create a context in which our students and we can open to grace, celebrating through each breath and posture the fact that we are alive, breathing. Know that if we are breathing, right now there is a lot more right with us then there is wrong. If we rejoice in the breath, rejoice in the play of movement in the asanas, regardless of whether we are Nlexible or stiff, young or old this inspires our students to embody this attitude in their own practice, and enable us to share with them the importance of Related to intention, as John Friend points out, is willpower. Willpower is necessary to be able to fulnil our intention, to get on the mat, to go to class, to do our practice and also related to our intention in each asana and each breath. Willpower is not mind over matter, but instead a delicate balancing act between effort and surrender, or physically contraction and relaxation in a posture. Willpower enables us to let go of the story as to why we shouldn t practice, or try in our practice and enables us to just practice. It is the lived understanding that we don t have to like it; we just have to do it! Willpower is also directly related to tapas, the inner Nire or spiritual fervour by which we go about our practice. At the deepest level tapas is directly related to Ishwarapranidhana, awareness and devotion to the Divine. Tapas denotes the fervour about which we dedicate our practice to the realisation (or remembering) our true nature, as boundless, interconnected, loving and free. When we teach, we can ask ourselves what understanding of Intention we are offering our students. Are we creating a space in which our students might discover, through their own breath and body the deeper teachings of yoga? Do we offer a kind word when called for to bolster their willpower? Do our instructions encourage them to push, strain and injure themselves? When we teach, do we ask our students to be what they are not? Is our attitude and teaching authentic? Can we see our students as a manifestation of divine grace and treat them as such? If the answer is yes, when we see them as such, we create the space for them to understand and experience their own true nature. Without intention, all these postures, these breathing practices, meditations, and the like can become little more than ineffectual gestures. When animated by intention, however, the simplest movement, the briefest meditation, and the contents of one breath cycle are made potent. Donna Farhi The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

8 Alignment Correct alignment is essential to gaining the physical, mental and energetic benenits of a posture. The alignment of a posture in a certain way denotes the differences between asanas each asana has a particular alignment specinic to that asana. Paying attention to alignment in a posture can assist in preventing injury. However over emphasis on alignment can be detrimental to a student s inspiration, motivation and desire to practice. If we become nitpicking about a student s alignment in a posture they can take away the message that they are not good enough and need to be better at yoga. Nitpicking also interrupts the Nlow of a student s practice, interrupts the heart connection they may experience in a posture and can interrupt their vinyasa matching of breath and movement. Alignment also pertains to the ways in which different aspects of our being are in relationship, for example the relationship between the body and mind, mind and spirit etc. If we are constantly judging how Nlexible or innlexible we are, or having a continued internal commentary on our own failings as a yoga student or teacher we create a rift between the body and the mind, by which the body is not doing what the mind wants it to be able to do. These sorts of pitfalls in our practice create further unhappiness. Instead we can begin, through our intention, accept where we are at mentally, physically or emotionally on a given day, and work with the situation as it is, not as we would like it to be. In a deeper way, alignment in our practice can be related to the extent to which we are aligned with grace. In other words, the extent to which we align our body and mind in order to discover a deeper understanding of the posture and of our own body, heart and mind. Grace is not something outside of us, by Grace I mean the Nlow with which we might connect with when we let go of self centred craving and aversion. We let go of the categorisation of pleasant and unpleasant and BE with what is occurring. This might be sadness, joy, dullness or some other state. Grace does not denote a blissful state, but rather the natural Nlux and Nlow of life in which happiness and unhappiness naturally arise, but we can remember and connect with the beauty of life, even in the midst of despair. It is the knowing that I am here breathing and that is extraordinary. Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths where neither sin nor desire can reach, the person that each one is in God's eyes. If only they could see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way, there would be no reason for war, for hatred, for cruelty... I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other. Thomas Merton The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

9 Effort The Buddha taught his disciples the practice of Right Effort as part of the 8 fold path to freedom from suffering and dis satsifaction. In our practice and teaching it is important to know the distinction between right effort and striving. Right effort involves willpower and steadiness of mind, just as striving does. However striving is orientated around an end point, a result. Right effort is the continued effort we put into our practice, without attachment to the fruits of our effort. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explains clearly to Arjuna that right effort pertains to striving and the results of our striving. Whether in our spiritual practice or life Krishna instructs that we should engage in right effort by renouncing the fruits of our actions. Wanting to get a posture is a form of spiritual materialism that is not helpful to us, or our students. However a lack of effort and laziness is also equally unhelpful. What is important is the effort we apply to our practice, rather than the result of that effort (ie; whether we get the posture). Sometimes we get confused between lack of effort (or laziness) and right effort. In our practice and students practice there should be an appropriate amount of tapas internal and spiritual Nire which is stoked through a desire to learn grow and connect with Grace. However at the same time it is necessary to realise that right effort itself, is an embodiment of Grace. A connection with what is, an openness to what in unfolding in each moment and the beauty of that divine play in our bodies, minds and hearts. As Chogyam Trungpa, a Tibetan Buddhist, teacher taught the path is the goal. Essentially in our yoga practice there is no where to get, and why might ask ourselves the koan Who is trying to get anywhere anyhow? Through our choice of words and actions in teaching our classes we convey a great deal to our students about effort. By using words like push or using destinational language we are encouraging them to strive for results and push through pain or discomfort, which may result in injury. Encourage your students to soften, to breathe and to hold steady. Encourage them to Nind a meeting place between effort and relaxation. Be clear that while discipline is important, we also need to embody non striving in our practice and teaching. Most of all, just encourage your students to get on the mat every day no matter what condition they Nind themselves in, mentally, physically, emotionally. To action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be in thee any attachment to inaction Bhagavad Gita (2.47) Fixed in yoga, do thy work, O Winner of wealth (Arjuna), abandoning attachment, with an even mind in success and failure, for evenness of mind is called yoga Bhagavad Gita (2.48) The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

10 Class Sequencing & Planning General principles for structuring a class: Inform. Tell students your name, the type of class you will be teaching, your focus for the class and ask if there are any injuries or medical conditions. Move from restorative, to active and then return to restorative. This allows students to settle into the class, and connect with their breathing before entering a full asana practice. By returning to restorative practices (either postures or breathing / relaxation) students release any tensions creating in the postures, allow the muscles to relax and calm the nervous system if the postures have been challenging. Avoid being stop start in your sequencing. Instead link postures together with vinyasas. Obviously there are occasions when you may wish to be stop start, but this is more suited to a restorative class, or a class where you focus is something like inversions and there is a greater need to demonstrate, talk through a posture in depth and then give students the opportunity to do the posture. Make sure to include preparatory postures. For example teach half down dog before down dog, teach sphinx before upward dog, teach half back bend before full backbends. Generally most students are not ready for certain postures, particularly postures which require a strong rotation in the joints such as full backbends or half lotus postures. In general classes it is best to leave out half lotus postures and full backbends until you are VERY familiar with your students. What is the focus of your class? Make sure the middle section of your class has a focus. This might be balancing, backbending, hip opening or standing positions. Be aware of the emotional and physical effects of your sequencing. For example if your sequencing has been very stimulating, such as a backbending sequence or a demanding vinyasa sequence, it is important to perhaps leave even more time at the end of the practice to realign the energy in the boy and mind. Repeat postures. If you see students are having difniculty with a posture, repeat the pose. This is very benenicial. Never teach a posture or technique you have not experienced or can not do well. Always remain with your own experience. Don t teach beyond what you know. For example, don t teach pranayama unless you have a dedicated pranayama practice. Avoid teaching advanced postures in general classes. Postures such as supta kurmasana, full backbends, Marichyasana B & D, headstand and full lotus are not suitable postures for a general drop in class. Even if there are students who may be able to do these poses, most students will not be able to. If you teach it, they will most likely want to try the posture. This can result in injury. The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

11 Order of postures This is a general guide. After many years of teaching and with experience you may be able to change the sequence around and observe the effects this has on your students, then make changes accordingly. Seated & Lying positions Kneeling Positions Positions on the hand and feet eg; down dog and lunges Vinyasa sequences / sun salutations Standing postures Seated postures & seated forward bending postures Backbending postures Inversions Kneeling / seated postures Lying positions Relaxation (always allow min 5 mins for relaxation) The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

12 Instructions: Finding and using your voice To teach well you must Nind your authentic voice. Yoga must be who you are, rather than something that you do, in this way your instructions will Nlow naturally and smoothly, without much need for planning or memorising. Notice the ways in which you might not be yourself in your teaching. Notice if there is the yoga teacher You popping up now and then in your classes, a certain tone of voice or phrase, a certain delivery of words which are intended to appear and sound yogic. Unless we are using our authentic voice our instructions will no resonate deeply with our students. For our instructions to resound deeply in our student body and soul our instruction must arise from the depths of our own being, not a supernicial or surface manifestation of ourselves as a yoga teacher. Tone, Pace and Volume It is important that everyone can hear you, no matter what part of the room they are in. Always direct your voice out, don t talk into your mat. Be careful of how you pace your instructions. Rapid Nire instructions are hard to follow. If you really want an instruction to sink in then it is necessary to pause after you give a clear instruction to allow students time to integrate this instruction into their practice. Be sure to give the most important instructions Nirst the instructions that will prevent them from injury. All other instructions are peripheral to these instructions. Demonstrating Be sure to always be in a position where people can see you. Position yourself as much as possible in front of your students. Move slowly and careful, breaking down each part of more difnicult postures to follow (such as a seated spinal twist). Sometimes, for example n a spinal twist it is appropriate to have your back to the students. For your own safety is very careful about how and what you demonstrate. When we are demonstrating we are not usually sufniciently limbered, and we are not breathing steadily because we are talking. Many yoga teachers injury themselves when demonstrating postures. The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

13 The Language of Yoga Directional Language Sink the heels towards the Nloor Press the base of the index Ninger Nirmly on to the mat Place your hands anywhere along the legs. Reach towards the ceiling Destinational Language Take the heels to the Nloor Don t lift the base of the index Ninger off the Nloor Hold your big toes Straighten your arms AfRirming Language Allow your hips to become level Extend your gaze towards the raised thumb Draw the lower abdomen towards the spine Press your heel to the Nloor Stretch your leg straight Negative Language Don t sink your right hip Don t look around Don t allow the belly to spill forwards Don t lift your heel Don t bend the knee Non Doing Language (languaging) Bring your awareness to your right shoulder Checking in with how your back feels When you notice the wandering of the mind, gently escort your awareness back to your breath. Doing Language (striving) Concentrate on your left shoulder Relaxing your back When you observe that your mind has wandered, return to counting your breath Action Commands Stand in tadasana Get a block to place under your hand Lift the Passive Instructions Now we are going to stand in tadasana If you like, get a block or prop for this posture. The Yoga Space Teaching Manual

14 Breathing Instructing your students on how to breathe needs to be an integral part of you class. Vinyasa is the matching of breath and movement, and by encouraging this connection we bring our students into a deeper connection with their own bodies and minds. Without a focus on conscious breathing, we are simply teaching our students how to stretch, not doing yoga. At the beginning of class, spend some time allowing students the opportunity to connect with their breathing, and we, as teachers, then take the time to connect with our breath also. Generally upward movements are done on an inhalation, and downward movements are done on an exhalation. We can also encourage our students to deepen and lengthen their breathing through a gentle practice of samma vritti, equal breathing. You can also includes samma vritti at different times during the class to encourage students to return to a steady and even breath. Breathing in, I know I m breathing in. Breathing out, I know As the in breath grows deep, The out breath grows slow. Breathing in makes me calm. Breathing out makes me ease. With the in breath, I smile. With the out breath, I release. Breathing in, there is only the present moment. Breathing out, it is a wonderful moment. Thich Nhat Hanh The Yoga Space Teaching Manual