yogashalapdx

Whew, this teaching thing is intense! When I wrote my first post back in September about my experiences as a new teacher, I was intending to post weekly or at least bi-weekly- but then life happened! But, I have been reflecting along the way and have some new insights to share.

I’ve realized that teaching yoga is really an extension of my personal practice. Just as some days I wake up and can’t wait to start my practice and other days I have to drag myself to my mat, teaching has had its ups and downs. I started off extremely enthusiastic and excited to share yoga, and after some of the initial thrill wore off I realized, hey, this is not so easy! It takes dedication, patience, and effort. Perhaps because I am new to teaching, I find myself spending a lot of time planning classes to make sure that I keep it fresh and fun for the students. But no matter how perfect my class plan is, the most important thing is the energy and attitude that I bring to class. The more dedicated I am to my own practice, the more I can bring the benefits I get from it into my classes. Yoga is all about each person’s individual experience of an asana, a breath practice, a meditation- so the more deeply I experience the practices I am teaching the better I can guide students through their own experience.

Teaching has helped my practice to grow in leaps and bounds, not only on the mat but in daily life as well. I am now more consciously practicing the first two limbs of yoga- the yamas and niyamas, which are our attitudes toward others and toward ourselves. Ahimsa, the first yama, means ‘non-harming,’ and I am striving to integrate this principle into my teaching so that class is as beneficial as possible to each student. This means that when people come to class with injuries or limitations I must find a way to help them come out of pain and do no further harm. Sauca, which means ‘cleanliness’ of the body, is the first niyama. It encourages us to be mindful of what we eat and how we treat our bodies. I am becoming more aware of how what I eat affects my mood and ability to do yoga- I definitely can’t eat pizza and then go to teach a class! I was in a minor bike accident in October and where in the past I might have jumped back into my yoga practice without paying too much attention to injuries, this time I took very good care to take it slow and gentle so that I would be in optimal health to continue teaching.

Trying to practice what I am preaching has forced me to hold myself accountable, since now I am not just practicing for my own benefit. It is always worth the effort to see the smiling faces at the end of class, and I really appreciate the opportunity to share my practice!

Kathryn teaches Vinyasa 1-2 at the SE Shala Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm and Friday at 5:30pm, and Family Yoga Fridays at 4pm.

Hello again!

Today I had the privilege of being able to attend Danielle’s Vinyasa class. It was very interesting to try another style of yoga after sticking to Jody’s class for most of my time here. I really enjoyed the fluidity between poses. WE were constantly moving and changing positions, keeping me alert and focused. At first I was worried about keeping steady breath while moving around so much, but I found that I was able to keep my breathes in synch with all of my movements which made it a lot easier than I thought it would be. Because of the constant movement, I left feeling very alive and awake. It’s so interesting that Through different styles you come out of class with a totally different outcome. I really like how it can differ how I feel just by altering they style of yoga I do. This has really motivated me to reach out and try more various classes! I Can’t wait to tell you guys all about it!

-Jazmine Smith