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From Yoga Rahasya Vol 7 No 4 - by Stephanic Quirk
In August of
this year the RlMYI conducted a "teachers training
course" for the teachers who conduct Iyengar Yoga classes for
RIMY! and the Light on Yoga Research Trust, On the first day, Sunday
6th August, almost all the teachers from Pune and Mumbai gathered
at the Institute [or the first session, Everyone was excited with
anticipation, We all carried notebooks to record the wisdom that
our teachers had to give to us.
The course was “full time". This first day we were to
watch the children's class as well as the children's medical class
followed by a session where Geetaji and Guruji guided the teachers
present showing them the real aspects of what is required to be known.
With their guidance we were shown how we, ourselves, are unable even
to attend to the most essential, primary features of Tadasana. We
are all able to see the placing of the feet, ankles and knees etc,
in this asana, yet in that observation we fail to observe what is
really there, we decline to accept what has to be done. Throughout
the course Geetaji and Guruji revealed so many habitual and mechanical
ways of practicing and teaching that are of our own making. They
poured upon us so many gifts borne from the depth of their own practice
and understanding. Yet again and again we failed to grasp and apply
the simplest directions. Through out the course we were shown means
and methods we can use for our teaching, but the major lesson of
the whole course was the skill (upaya kausalam), with which our teachers
revealed to us our most basic mistakes. These fundamental mistakes
may be due to our lack of real penetration in practice, study and
understanding. It is our ego – ahamkara, our fixed self-views
and our complacency that stand in the way of our understanding.
Each afternoon we watched the videos on teaching. They were taken
from Geetaji's visit to Australia in 1996, where she guided junior
teachers, and from Guruji's Art of Teaching, which was also a course
in the guidance of teachers. The lessons being taught to those students
in Australia and the USA, were the same as were being taught to us
now. They were making the same mistakes then as we still make now.
On the first afternoon, Sunday, Geetaji came from her work and addressed
us. She gave very valuable points for developing our skill as teachers.
She gave us hints and guidance of what it was we had to see, learn
and observe. It is the notes taken from that introduction that are
printed here in this issue of Yoga Rahasya.
As the course proceeded, the points that Geeta had given to us on
that first Sunday afternoon needed to be repeated again and again.
For those seven days we struggled to absorb what was being taught
to us. In the afternoons we sat watching the videos and saw the same
points being given to those teachers.
At the end of the training course, I was handed the transcribed
pages of another teachers training course that had been conducted
by Guruji in 1992. My job was to enter corrections and clarifications
that Guruji was making the document into the computer. As I worked
I realized it what I read from that document in front of me, may
well have been a transcription of the whole previous week. In front
of me were the same points being given as guidance for those teachers
in 1992 as we had just been receiving over the past week. The words
were different, expressions and examples different, but the essential
principles conveyed were the same.
During the course Prashant came and gave us very direct guidance
in the art of teaching, again his words and expression is different,
but the principles remain the same, the notes taken from his talk
are also included here.
The lyengar’s have been guiding us now for years, if not directly,
then through the teachers that come to Pune yet, despite their years
of teaching and guidance, they’re still telling us the same
message, still giving us the same hints, still showing us where the
pathway is, showing us where we are going astray and shining the
light to guide us back onto the path. Their patience for us is boundless,
their tolerance for our slow, dull learning ability is real, their
vision of what we all must become does not waver. For years on end
they have been waiting for us to row. They are prepared to wait,
they are prepared to give us the same teachings over and over and
over again. Their kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna), their joy
for us all (mudita) and their great, unbiased acceptance (upeksa)
of our virtues and vices speaks of an understanding of us all that
we do not have of ourselves.
To attain the level of understanding required to teach others means
that we must be prepared to constantly study and practice in order
to realise even a part of what it is that the Iyengars have been
giving to us. It is a great responsibility to be guiding others on
the path of yoga. If we are to shine the light for others we must
be sure that the light is clear enough to clear away the darkness,
we must be sure that our directions are clear. we must be certain
that what we have to teach is pure and untainted.
Guruji, Geetaji, and Prashantji to your great unwavering commitment
I bow down.
Basics of the Art and Science of Teaching
As mentioned
earlier we had a teacher's training course in Pune primarily meant
for teachers
who were already teaching at RIMYI and
for WYRT. The objective of this course was to find out how the teachers
were faring and ascertain the lacunae in their teaching so that the
same could be rectified and improved upon. It was during this course
that we realized how one tends to take the "basics of teaching" for
granted. And in the process, some simple things are often missed
out or not communicated in the correct perspective to the subsequent
generations of student teachers. This was very strongly brought to
our notice by Geetaji. We thought that it is important to reiterate
these basics time and again for the benefit of all concerned teachers,
student-teachers and students too. For teachers, so that they do
not forget to guide their student-teachers about these aspects; they
do not get carried away and if they do, they come back to ground
realities; for student-teachers so that they do learn to teach from
basics and the ultimate benefit goes to the students so that they
learn lyengar Yoga" as it is.
Organization and programming of the class
- The students
should be arranged in the class in such a manner that ALL the students
are visible to the teacher and the teacher
is also visible to all the students. Irrespective of the numbers
of students and the physical dimensions of the class the teacher
should have the ability to organize the students in such a manner
that at a glance the teacher is able to see how the entire class
is performing.
- The
teacher should have an idea of the kind of postures he/she is planning
to teach during the class. If the teacher intends to
teach back bends later in the class, then the action of back bend
should be taught in all the poses from the beginning of the class.
- In
general classes, the teacher should stick to the allotted timings
of the class and therefore should have a mental timetable
of the poses he/she is going to make the students perform. This of
course, may not be true for workshops or intensives since the objective
of these courses are very different from that of the general class.
Communication
- Speech should
be loud and clear. Shout if need be!
- Language
should be such that it is understood by all the students in the
class.
- The
instructions should be precise and to the point.
- Instructions
should not be too verbose. Too many words tend to confuse students
and also get them to loose their attention.
- Instructions
should be specifically pertaining to what you are to teach. They
should be such that they elicit a response in the
students performance.
- Do
not talk too fast. Give the students time to implement the instruction
given.
- Eyes
should be sharp and alert. Eyes often communicate more than words.
Look into the eyes of the students.
- The teacher should
make her /his presence felt in the class. Especially while teaching
beginners the feeling of being watched
by the teacher improves the performance of the students.
Observation and Instructions
- The eyes of
the teacher should quickly move to observe whether the specific
instruction given by him/her has been implemented by
the students. For example if the teacher has given some instructions
about the adjustment of the feet in the standing asanas the vision
of the teacher should immediately move towards the feet and not to
the faces of the students.
- Always perform
or get somebody to perform the poses in front of the class while
teaching beginners and children. Remember that
eyes catch faster than words and new students tend to imitate what
they see.
- While performing
along with the class. if the class is performing the pose on the
right side of the body, the teacher should be doing
it on the left a mirror image for the student.
- Always give identical
instructions for both sides for poses which need to be performed
on the left and right side of the body.
- Start teaching
objectively. The instructions given to the beginners should be
such that they pertain to some- thing they can see and
then correct. The beginners generally do not have the sensitivity
to FEEL the pose. Teach them to watch what they are doing.
- Subjective teaching
can be introduced as the students mature and their sensitivity
increases.
- Do not start
teaching the subtle points to beginners while there is no need
to spend too much time on the basic instructions for students
who are already aware of the basic pose.
- While
teaching any class, always start with general instructions so that
all the
students
manage a pose which is "grossly" correct.
Further instructions should be such that most of the common mistakes
being made by the students get corrected. Then, if need be individuals
can be specifically corrected. Only after this, one should delve
into subtle points to improve the posture further.
- See
that the "gross" pose
is performed correctly. Never try to teach subtle adjustments when
the gross pose in incorrect.
- The
teacher should never try to POUR his /her knowledge and the "points" they know. If the instructions given by the
teacher are pot being implemented or understood by the students then
there is no point in continuing "teaching" what one has
come prepared with for that particular class. The number of points
and ideas given is not important. What is important is how many of
these are comprehended and implemented by the students.
- Teach,
keeping in mind the level of the class. If the teacher has just
attended
a
workshop or “intensive" where Tadasana
has been taught for 1 hour then it is not expected that this teacher
also teaches Tadasana in his / her class for one hour! the principle
behind the points given in Tadasana have to be understood and taught
in other asanas.
- Always
apprise the students about the concept of "reaction
to action" so that the students also develop sensitivity and
their own analytical faculty.
- Always connect
the instructions, actions, feelings, sensations and experiences
between the poses performed during a class. There
should be a subjective LINK, between the sequence of asanas performed
during a class.
- Observe the group
and be alert to realize when fatigue is setting in. Their fatigue
is evident by shakiness of the body or mental confusion.
When this happens it is best to get them to come out of the pose.
The pose may be repeated but never force them to stay in the pose
where fatigue is evident to the teacher.
Demonstrating while teaching
- Always demonstrate
what you expect from the students especially if the verbal instructions
fail to generate a response from the students.
- The action/movement
that one expects from the students should be visible when the teacher
demonstrates on himself/herself or another
student.
- Never forget
to get the entire class to perform whatever the teacher / student
has demonstrated. Assisting and physically helping
the student
- Help. assist
only when needed.
- Do not keep on
touching/pushing/pulling people in the guise of helping especially
in the general class.
- While assisting
in class, correct only as per the instructions given by the teacher.
Never adjust/correct other aspects unless the
student is making a gross mistake. Never give parallel instructions.
- Do
not touch or "help" an
individual unless you are very sure why you are doing it and
what changes you are expecting
by helping the student.
- Whenever you
touch a student do not make them shaky .The objective of correcting
a student is to enhance their stability in the asana.
Practice and teaching
- The teacher
is expected to know the names, meanings, techniques and methodology
of the different asanas he / she is teaching.
- The principle
behind the use of the props should be known in addition to knowing
how to use the props. For a teacher, the WHY
is as important it not more than the HOW.
- Never teach what
you do not know or have not practiced.
- Never neglect
any student.
- Teach the students
the subject of yoga not just how to stay fit and healthy!
- Do not get carried
away by the words of appreciation or disapproval of the students.
Remember your dharma is to teach the subject of
yoga and impart it well.
Prashant-O-Scope
Yoga is a unique
subject for the student and the teachers. The student here does
not merely
learn the subject or the teacher does not merely
teach the subject. The student has to learn to learn and the teacher
has to teach the student how to learn and not merely teach. The student
at some stage must learn to teach himself because this subject is
auto interactive. At times one part of the body has to teach another
part of the body. This implies that one part of the body has to learn
from another part of the body. It is these aspects of learning and
teaching that Prashantji brought forward in a special talk that he
gave during the "teacher's training course". Some of these
aspects are being presented here.
- At times the
mind has to teach the body or vice-versa. At times one facet of
mind has
to teach another facet of mind or one state
of mind has to teach another state of mind. Thus from the students
point of view, the student just learn to learn and learn to teach
and teach to teach and teach to learn. The same is from the teachers
point of view. He must teach the student. There are different levels
of students. Learn to teach the different levels of students differently.
Beginners should be corrected and the teacher may need to correct
them physically. A "second stage" student should be taught
to correct himself -they should just be given hints. The student
at the next stage should be taught to correct potential mistakes
and avoid the occurrence of mistakes.
- You
have to teach the student when he/she is a raw beginner. But. a
doctoral level students are not taught. they are taught the subject.
Therefore you have to teach the subject of yoga. at some point of
time.
- You
have to trans-personalise the student up to the level of the subject
(To transpersonalize means to make the student forget their
personal inabilities and incapacity (this should be done by transcending
them through teaching skills).
- Students
are going to make mistakes. Don't be impatient with the students
but be impatient to correct the mistakes.
- You
must know the physiology of asanas.
- Asanas
are unique because any asana automatically involves the entire
body. (Gross, subtle, causal)
- Asana
is the alignment of the entire organism: (physical, physiological,
psychological & mental).
- Yoga
is a heuristic subject where one has to be a student of oneself
as well as teacher of oneself.
- Don't
just work as technocrats and scientists, but work as humans on
humans.
- Intolerance-is
not good unless it is for itself.
- Approach
your teachers at any cost to get tile answer to the what to take
whom and why to take that questions.
To work on any part you have to work on the whole. You must work
on the total alchemy of the body.
Yoga Therapy
- There are two
main approaches in yoga therapy - Relief and corrections. It is
the skill of the teacher to know when to bring in the relief
aspect and when to correct. The student has to be given relief so
that he/she is inclined to work harden on correction.
- The
human body is a systemic body or systemic system. One part affects
all the other parts. Yoga is a holistic system, not a local,
focal and topical therapy. Those therapists will not work on the
whole person. If the person comes with a backache the therapist will
work on the back. So, while giving relief to the student by working
on the part also teach them about the whole.
- Some
student may come to you with a hip socket problem, but that will
not be their only problem. they will have a whole cluster of
problems. Physical, psychomental and emotional.
- In
your teaching you will have to evolve the entire person so that
he or she may endure what cannot be cured.
- You
need to have not only the knowledge of the problem and what asanas
to take
for that
but you also need to have the "Know-how" technically
and personally. It is like when there is a sick child. it is the
mother who has the know-how to administer the medicine to the child,
where as the pediatrician can only prescribe but has no knack to
administer what he prescribes to that child.
- To
go on and on administering a set sequence of asanas for a certain
problem is irrational as the person changes. They even arrive each
day in a different frame of mind. You should know that you are dealing
with Mind, more than the body in any case even in the case of a physical
problem.
- Don't
try to replace or compete with other therapies. Yoga is not an
alternative therapy. It is a systematic system for the whole
psychosomatic embodiment. You are going to treat through yoga so
you have to have a commitment to that. Give them yoga not just relief.
- You
might be treating the patients, but don't treat them as patients.
They might be Working under you do not let them feel that they
are working under you a patient. The patient after the session
should
not only feel better (i.e. over Coming pain, agony or discomfort)
but far beyond and beget YOGIC STASY -a transcendent state of mind.
For that, you need to:
- learn
to learn,
- learn
to teach,
- teach
to learn and
- teach
to teach.
As yoga is uni-intercative,
Or auto-interactive. It involves:
- the body
teaching the body
- the body
teaching the mind
- the mind
teaching the body and
- the mind
teaching the mind.
Thus, in
yogic tuitions, the student is unique and teacher too is unique,
ultimately rendering the student fit for "IN-TUITION" ^ back to top
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