This is so incredibly important I want to ROAR (hence the lion in the pic).
The other night when I went to TAKE (Yassssss) yoga, I thought, “Please don’t let anyone be in competition with me tonight…”
Because the last several classes I was next to new students who then tried to kill themselves to do the variations I was doing. Why does this bother me? Well, aside from the fact that it’s distracting I’m the practically the poster child for ADD, I’m a long-time clinical doctor before I am a yoga teacher; I don’t want to see these people walk away (or perhaps not be able to walk the next day) and think “Yoga sucks…I’m never going back…”
DO your thang! I get it. But…not if it’s going to potentially injure you.
Or rob of you the (scientifically-proven) great benefits of a regular yoga practice!
It’s not the teacher’s job to correct the “competitions” that inevitably go on during each class (this IS Orange County, after all), or be able to individually cue and address participants. Instructors can repeat the cues over and over but you can’t make anyone listen.
A few classes ago, I practiced next to a fellow yoga instructor friend and it was great. We got (and did) what we needed to from that practice without making it into a scene from Cirque de Soleil.
Back to the other night…
A fellow yogi came in (late btw, which is not cool, instructors! especially in yoga), went up to the front and then proceeded to up level all the variations while breathing exasperatedly and inconsistently until such time as they actually went down in childs pose for the last part of the class.
Oh yes, it’s important to mention that I recognized this person as not only a certified yoga instructor but one who’d gone through my teacher training.
It made me sad.
Because they know better, or did at one time. Because they should be a shining example to the new yogis (they ended up being behind me for this class & not next to) and everyone else.
“Teach your neighbor how to breathe,” one of my yoga teacher mentors used to say.
Not only breathe, but teach your neighbor how to do & BE yoga with your example.
It really is ^
(The above slide is from my yoga teacher training guide, btw, which is a good resource even if you don’t intend on being an instructor.)
Breathing is the foundation. THEN the asanas (the poses, the physical “stuff”). And finally the mind.
It’s those principles in THAT order that make yoga different from, say, step aerobics or other gym activities, right?
Otherwise, why else are you coming to yoga?
If it’s to get the most effective workout (the physical “stuff”), you’d best look elsewhere.
If it’s to reduce stress levels and other the mental benefits (the mind), you won’t achieve that if you can’t breathe because you can’t get into poses and you’re hyperventilating and now you can’t focus on anything BUT what your body’s doing…
It all starts with the breath.
And the breath is very closely linked to the cardiovascular (IMPT!!!) and musculoskeletal systems -in fact, all body systems.
And though we instructors may say it in the beginning, it’s true that very few of us (myself included) keep reminding and repeating about “checking in” with and “going back” to the breath during classes.
We ALL don’t breathe well consistently. We can do better. I’ve posted here and on Instagram about all the wonderful benefits of good respiratory function. And I need to keep repeating.
Now the good thing this yogi did WAS to go into childs pose whether it was out of necessity or a moment of awareness (instead of continuing to stress and strain through it).
TIP: Your breath should sound like slow and steady waves, not a choo choo train.
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Any Questions??
