I have been coming across so many
words lately, written by others, that I am enjoying immensely. Not to
mention, words that are to large degrees pertinent to elements within my
own personal teaching and learning journey ... and so, I feel great
beauty within the sharing. I have taught yoga now for many years, and
it is always an intriguing mystery surrounding the teacher/student
relationship and dynamic.
Keeping in mind, I believe we are all our own
teachers, and every single person carries their own individuated and
potent form of Medicine. Healing logistics aside, and speaking simply
from the practical "one room, one teacher, multiple students"
arrangement, I found this article itself to be great medicine, because
it is truth. In nearly every class I have taught in a registered
setting, there is a sort of 'archetypal' line up that comes into form,
which to this day leaves me somewhat quizzical about it. Not to
mention, I am very sensitive.
Not in the overly-emotional sense of the
word ... but as in, I very easily pick up on what others are feeling and
experiencing. It is a big job, this teaching gig. It is a big job,
and a huge passion. That is what, despite the 'doubters and comparers',
the sometimes judgments, the anxieties and uncertainties that mix up
into one breathy room ... that is what keeps we impassioned instructors
showing up at the mat.
Sometimes I have felt like standing at the front
of the room, demonstrating a posture, and then calling out to the class
"You do!" as the author describes below! This is not my process
however, but admittedly it sounds like a fun one! Yet I will continue
with my methods. Because there are also the supporters, the
cheerleaders, and the pure lovers of the process. And it is precisely
this process, and the trust we know we must hold within it, that will
keep us coming back for more.
Ten Tips from a Yoga Student
By Russell Shields
I am not a yoga teacher. I am one of those people who bring
a mat to class and do the asanas with everyone else. I have been a
yoga student for many years. The experience has taught me how to be a
better yoga student. I now offer 10 tips on how to get more out of the
student/teacher relationship.
1. BE A STUDENT. If you are a student, it is important to
be a good student. This means adopting the attitude of a diligent
student for the class period, especially with a new teacher. For many of
us, especially if one has a regular practice, there is a tendency to
compare teachers and think we know of a better way for the class to be
taught. The mind likes to think, “My other teacher did not do it that
way. This feels weird.” When I first took ashtanga yoga, it seemed that
some of the set sequence of poses would make more sense if done in a
slightly different order. After years of practice, I have come to
realize there is wisdom in the sequence just as taught.
2. BE OPEN. Thoughts that the teacher is teaching
incorrectly is a wrong attitude that puts up a barrier to learning what
the teacher has to offer. The truth is, we can learn something from
every teacher, if we can BE OPEN to what they have to teach. I have had
teachers whose asana practice was less developed than mine. However, I
learned much from them. The more advanced student must be especially
aware of this pitfall, as there is a tendency to use existing knowledge
and experience as a sort of bias against new teachings and experiences.
3. OVERLOOK. Yoga teachers, like all of us, are works in
progress. It is not unusual to hear them mispronounce the names of
asanas, embarrass students, criticize other teachers, arrive late, start
the class late, run the class past the scheduled end time, display
anger, direct you into a sequence of poses and then forget to do the
“other side,” leaving you feeling lopsided. Most yoga teachers are not
masters and teach at least some mistakes. It is important to remember
that they are people in different stages of development, just like the
students. My wife once asked an East Indian lady the secret to a long,
happy marriage. She responded, “Overlook.” The fact is, people come
mixed. They are not all good or all bad. It is up to us to overlook the
flaws so that we can enjoy the real yoga teachings, which are pristine
and eternal.
Although yoga teachers may be flawed, it is also true that you
would be hard pressed to find a more heart-centered, God-loving group
of people. They do not teach for the “big bucks.” Most yoga teachers
are not striving to reach early retirement. However, it is fair to say
that most are working on piling up sizeable spiritual bank accounts -- a
quality that is both admirable and endearing.
4. EXPECT ODD SITUATIONS. Yoga teachers sometimes do
things that seem very odd. There is an implicit trust relationship
between the teacher and student. It is the teacher's duty to find a way
to get the student to learn and the student's duty is to be obedient
and open. Since yoga deals with mind, body and spirit, the forms of
teaching can be quite odd indeed.
One of my yoga teachers, Dawn S., would often choose one
person per class session to receive special help with supta kurmasana,
the turtle pose. This is a pretzel pose to end them all. Dawn was not
happy until someone was completely scrunched into a tiny ball, feet
crossed, head in crotch, arms between and under the legs and bent behind
the back. When she “helped” me into it, my breathing became about
1/100th of what it was up to then. Tim M. could somehow put me into
twisting poses like marichyasana D, where my hands barely clasped, and
then he would help other people for what seemed like FOREVER, or until
my sweaty hands got so weak they slipped apart and the pose collapsed.
Tim was also fond of saying, urdhva dhanurasana, or backbend/wheel, “is
like pancakes--the first two are no good.” To me, that meant we were
going to be holding the pose FOREVER, or until the body shook and
collapsed down, over and over again. At the end of the wheel poses, he
would sometimes say, “OK now, second set!”
The yoga literature is full of stories of teachers doing
even more strange things to make a point to the student. For example,
the great teacher, Kabir, was chastised by some Muslims for pointing his
feet in the direction of Mecca. Kabir responded by asking his critics
to kindly point his feet in the direction that did not face God. Mulana
Rum, or Rumi, is reported to have said, “If the teacher says soak your
prayer mat in wine, soak it in wine.” In so many ways, the teacher and
the yoga challenge our parameters and break down limitations to
growth. So if the teacher places you in an odd situation, try to use it
as an opportunity to learn.
5. HANG IN THERE. I have found that the solution to the
odd situations is to hang in there, even if you don't like it. Sooner or
later, the wisdom comes out. For example, after a while, I learned
from Dawn that the turtle pose can be very peaceful, sort of like your
own personal sadhu cave. I learned from Tim that twisting poses can
really help me to open UP and expand. I even learned that backbends get
easier. The key was always just hanging in there. When one of my
teachers, Steve, saw the class straining in a difficult pose, he would
encourage us to hang in there by saying, “Don't leave before the
miracle. It is just coming.” There is truth to that statement. I am
grateful to my teachers, including Dawn, Tim and Steve , for their
encouragements and patience.
Avoid comparing yourself to others. Negative thoughts can
block all progress. Thoughts like “I will never be that good” will suck
away your energy and put you into a mode of struggle in the practice.
Expect that some days you will feel better than others. Ultimately , it
is what is going on internally, not externally, that counts. If you
hang in there, you will get great satisfaction from the yoga. Just keep
doing the yoga. Do it during the ordinary turmoil of life. Do it
despite days of lesser strength and flexibility. Do it without
comparing yourself to what others are doing on the mat next to you.
6. DO IT THEIR WAY. Teachers have different styles. Some
are young, very flexible, strong, and vigorous. Their classes are often a
faster paced, more intense workout. Older or more experienced teachers
often place less emphasis on external form and more emphasis on breath
and concentration during the practice. There is no bad choice. What is
important is to do the practice their way so that you can get the
benefit from their style of teaching.
For example, I have noticed Iyengar teachers talk a lot
during class. They explain every tiny detail of the asana until I feel
mentally exhausted from the input. Also, I know several Iyengar teachers
who can be very picky about the way you fold blankets. However, I am
deeply indebted to them for teaching yoga etiquette and the great body
of physical / mechanical info rmation they provided. I would not have
gotten that benefit if I left the class because the teachers never shut
up
7.
YOU DO! In contrast, I have noticed that ashtanga teachers give very
little instruction. The class moves from pose to pose and you are left
to figure out precisely how each pose should be done. One teacher
would sometimes silently show a pose and then only say, “You do!” I
learned a lot from those two words. To my surprise, what I did not know
the doing often taught me. If I had not experienced the asana flow
without the teaching interruptions, I would not have developed the slow
, rhythmic breathing in movement that leads to a deeper practice. In
the end , it is not doing asanas but learning to repose--to achieve a
deep sense of the eternal within -- that is the real yoga practice. The
understanding and internal experience that eventually come from the
yoga are the best teacher. If you open your heart and just do the
practice, then the timeless and pristine gifts of yoga will be
discovered.
8. ETIQUETTE. The newer student may be surprised to know there is
an unofficial yoga etiquette that is widely accepted. First on my
unofficial list is to come with fairly clean body and mat. I am not all
that finicky about odor. Even so, being on a yoga mat next to
malodorous feet or mat has ruined the whole experience for me many
times. Be on time. If you are late, just stand near the door and wait
for the teacher to acknowledge you and direct you to a spot. Most
teachers will arrange a spot for you, when the time is right.
9. RELAX/DON'T TENSE UP. As a result of being the
equivalent of human pretzel dough to many teachers over the years, I
have learned that the best way to take an adjustment is to RELAX. Let it
happen. Try to get the feel of what the pose is like after you are in
the adjusted pose. Try to get the “body memory” of the adjusted pose.
Does it feel better than before? How is it different from what you were
doing? Good things happen when you relax. You go much deeper into the
pose. You may learn that mentally surrendering is a huge key to
spiritual growth. DON'T TENSE UP. The converse is also true. Tense up
and bad things happen. When you resist, the deep steady breathing is
lost, tension comes in, the mind gets defensive and becomes unreceptive.
The selfish mantra of “what will happen to me” is soon to surface. One
of the challenges in backbends is to relax in what is at first
perceived as a stressful situation. This lesson carries over into daily
life. As my practice has become established, I notice that when my
daily work gets intense, my deep , slow yoga with ujjai breathing get
going and automatically the situation becomes more even.
10. HONOR AND ENCOURAGE. We should honor and encourage our
yoga teachers. I notice that when a yoga instructor just walks by me,
or adjusts me, my practice immediately perks up, and I try a little
harder for awhile. Teachers also benefit from recognition and feedback.
When I think of the great line of yoga teachers stretching back into
antiquity who brought these great teachings to us, it is natural to feel
humility and gratitude to all yoga teachers. For these reasons, it is
good to honor and respect yoga teachers. I try to bring flowers to
class once in a while. I like to remember them at Christmas with small
gifts like nuts, incense or a yoga type calendar. Sometimes just a few
words about how I sincerely enjoyed a class or how I improved from an
adjustment in the class bring a smile to their face.
Russell
Shields was last in Chicago in 1968. He came as one of many Students
for a Democratic Society who engaged in anti-war protests at the
Democratic Convention. Soon after, he began studying hatha yoga with
Yogi Sharma in Long Beach, California. In 1972 he was initiated into
surat shabd (meditational) yoga by G uru Charan Singh. Russell has traveled
to India between 15 and 20 times, mostly to see his guru at an ashram
in Punjab, India. He has traveled the Himalayas, studied medi t ation
with the Brama Kumaris in Rajasthan, performed Shivaite practices
in Varanasi. Russell is a partner in the law firm of Shields &
Kowalski located in Tustin, California. He is a longtime ,
familiar student at many yoga studios. Since writing this story,
Russell has started to teach a yoga class at Bally's Gym in Southern
California.
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