PHYSICAL PRACTICE

What Should the Practice Feel Like?

 My students spend most of their time practicing Yoga rather than learning ABOUT Yoga. Though it is hard for me to do, I try to limit any initial talking to five minutes or so before moving directly into the practice. To say it another way: I try to let Yoga class not feel like a traditional class. For example, when I discuss the Yoga Sutras or other philosophical ideas, I pick a small topic, speak briefly, weave the idea into the physical practice, and continue the discussion the next day.

When leading any group of people and especially when they have assembled to practice something physically, it is crucial to maintain an awareness of one’s own ego. For the teacher, it can be fulfilling to guide students into complex postures but this path can lead, without awareness, into the realm of unsustainability and danger. The asanas are not for display, nor are they performative. The asanas are vehicles for awakening.

One must keep in mind the many reasons that a student might be drawn to Yoga. Many students have a genuine interest in contemplative practices. Students may not wish to participate in the competitive environment of team sports. Students may join Yoga because their friends are participating.

With the above in mind, there is no one way that the practice should feel for each student. The best that teachers can do is create a space for healing and strengthening of attention.

 Led Classes or Self-Guided

When I started leading our program, I was practicing in a Vinyasa style, taking and teaching classes in which the sequence was different every time but followed the usual blueprint:

Questions and Observations (from students)

Warm-up

Sun Salutations

Standing Poses

Seated Poses

Inversions

Closing Postures

Savasana

Essentially, I was coming up with a new sequence every day. After many years of practicing this way and a year or so of in-school teaching, I started practicing Ashtanga and Mysore-style. When I later started offering a version of this sequence and way of practicing, I noticed a dramatic shift in the energy of the class. Students were more focused, more curious, and more inspired. I fully expected that moving away from a new sequence every day to practicing the same sequence every day might leave the students bored and uninspired but this was not the case. The students were interested in memorizing the postures and transitions as well as learning the Sanskrit names for them. The number of students signing up for Yoga increased as well. I now offer a mostly Ashtanga-based sequence with some additional ‘drills’ and the occasional led class that would more clearly simulate what one would encounter in a non-Ashtanga Vinyasa class. Once a week or so, we practice Mysore-style, where the students move through the sequence at their own pace while I give suggestions and answer questions. I have had few experiences more profound than sharing the space with thirty young people silently practicing yoga together.

If you are not familiar with the Ashtanga Primary Series (give it a shot!) I might recommend organizing your classes by one week or two week segments with a particular physical focus (external rotation at the hip, internal rotation at the hip, etc…) with at least one ‘well-balanced’ class included as well.

Injuries

One can be injured practicing Yoga. I make this clear to my students from the very beginning and include the following statement on my intake form:

As with any physical activity, there is a risk of physical injury when practicing asana. Throughout your practice, listen to your body and alert the teacher if you feel that you need modifications or if you cannot continue. If you are working with any pre-existing injury or condition, please alert the teacher prior to beginning to practice.

The way you instruct the class can also mitigate the chances of someone injuring themselves. I repeat the following phrases often:

Cultivate a sense of healing

Only go 75%

Keep it mellow

Keep it extra-medium (a personal favorite)

Reach for the toes, the ankles, or the shins

To the aim of inclusion and safety, I offer many options and modifications for postures and transitions, which I will discuss in the next post.