My kids are always up for joining me for a yoga session but funny enough they never do what I ask them to do and I usually end up lying on my back on the floor with the kids bouncing up and down on my tummy! This doesn’t help me to improve my teaching skills at all!
Luckily I recently found another “victim” and did 5 yoga sessions with my mum who came to see us for New Year’s. She was certainly the most critical and outspoken student I could have had so it was great practice! The first class was pretty rubbish (not her exact words but very close) but after that it was definitely getting easier! During one class she looked as if she was going to cry but overall I think she enjoyed it!Â
What I found is, that it’s quite easy to do the pose myself but talking someone through exactly how to do it correctly is hard! Yoga is quite an inward practice and a lot of what is happening in the body is not actually visible to anyone else so as yoga teachers we (I’m saying ‘we’ as if I was a teacher already but am of course still in limbo) have to make sure that we explain it to yoga students in a way which they can relate to which is of course difficult as everyone experiences it differently! Going from one posture to the next is another one of my challenges and of course the amazing things that yoga teachers say in the beginning and at the end of the class! …so still quite a lot to learn for me.Â
I’m glad to say that my mum has come out of the 5 sessions without any injuries and hasn’t been put off yoga completely now! She actually said that she could feel a noticeable difference after the practice so that is encouraging! She also had some pain in a muscle in her upper arm which has not disappeared but is a lot better which is great to hear.Â
The next step now are some group practice classes which I’m starting in New Malden next month! This will hopefully help me to build up my confidence and improve my teaching style. After all “yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory” Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois. I think the same is valid for teaching yoga!
This looks fab! I wish I lived near you then you could practice on me too! You’re doing so well, and am sure this taught you a lot! Jess x
yes that would be great! It definitely helped me a lot – just have to keep going with this now and find other people. Everyone who comes to my house has to do some yoga with me 😉
Oh well done you for biting the bullet and practicing your new teaching skills! It’s pretty daunting at first, but isn’t everything new? I’ve been teaching 1-3 people weekly before Christmas, and can’t wait to get a few more classes under my belt. Will DM you about some group practice stuff in case you ever want to join in! Great #AllAboutYou post, thanks so much for linking (and hope you joined in the comp, I get almost all my yoga gear from TK Maxx!)
Happy New Year!
Thank you! Yes it’s definitely daunting! Can’t wait to practice some more! (Will make sure to enter the competition) x