Art of teaching

by Stephanie Quirk

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

1.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.

2. 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.

3. 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

4. Speech should be loud and clear. Shout if need be!

5. Language should be such that it is understood by all the students in the class.

6. The instructions should be precise and to the point.

7, Instructions should not be too verbose. Too many words tend to confuse students and also get them to loose their attention.

8. Instructions should be specifically pertaining to what you are to teach. They should be such that they elicit a response in the students performance.

9. Do not talk too fast. Give the students time to implement the instruction given.

10. Eyes should be sharp and alert. Eyes often communicate more than words. Look into the eyes of the students.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. Always give identical instructions for both sides for poses which need to be performed on the left and right side of the body.

16. 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.

17. Subjective teaching can be introduced as the students mature and their sensitivity increases.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. See that the "gross" pose is performed correctly. Never try to teach subtle adjustments when the gross pose in incorrect.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. Always apprise the students about the concept of "reaction to action" so that the students also develop sensitivity and their own analytical faculty.

24. 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.

25. 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

26. Always demonstrate what you expect from the students especially if the verbal instructions fail to generate a response from the students.

27. The action/movement that one expects from the students should be visible when the teacher demonstrates on himself/herself or another student.

28. Never forget to get the entire class to perform whatever the teacher / student has demonstrated. Assisting and physically helping the student

29. Help. assist only when needed.

30. Do not keep on touching/pushing/pulling people in the guise of helping especially in the general class.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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

34. The teacher is expected to know the names, meanings, techniques and methodology of the different asanas he / she is teaching.

35. 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.

36. Never teach what you do not know or have not practiced.

37. Never neglect any student.

38. Teach the students the subject of yoga not just how to stay fit and healthy!

39. 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"