|
|
|
|
Yoga
Teaching Ideas: Tips for Yoga Teachers
by
Marianne Woods Cirone, M.S., R.Y.T.,
Certified Yoga Teacher The
following is a reprint of an article which I wrote for the Midwest Yoga
Teachers Newsletter. This is a great newsletter published for
the members of the Midwest Yoga Teachers Network, founded by Sharon
Steffensen, editor of YogaChicago and major yoga advocate. For any
teachers of yoga located in the midwest or for other interested parties,
contact Sharon at Yoga@enteract.com
for information on obtaining membership or subscriptions to these
publications.
|
Show
and Tell for Yoga Class |
|
by
Marianne Cirone, M.S., Yoga Instructor |
As yoga teachers, our role is much broader than simply to demonstrate
postures and breathing techniques and correct our students.
Hatha yoga has five major limbs (postures, breathing, meditation,
diet and nutrition, and positive thinking) and there are many ways to
address all these areas in order to educate our students (and ourselves)
and to keep our yoga classes fresh and fun.
In order to increase my student’s knowledge of themselves, yoga,
and other health-promoting behaviors I like to bring a variety of visual
aids and other information to my classes.
Literature
I
am always on the lookout for great sources of literature for my students.
Of course, a big favorite is YogaChicago.
I am fortunate to be a distributor of YogaChicago, so I hand
out my copies to all my students every other month, and provide for the
other teachers where I work to hand out also.
This publication very popular, especially when I do presentations
for groups such as the Illinois Women in Law Enforcement where the
participants are from diverse geographic locations and are looking for
local classes.
My
students always like to be “in the know” as to what is being said
about yoga in the media. I
had copies made of the cover story of the April 23, 2001 issue of Time
Magazine featuring a
comprehensive summary of yoga and it’s benefits.
I usually leave my copies on a table for the students to pick up if
they desire, so as not to add unnecessarily to the paper pollution.
The students enjoy checking what they know about yoga against what
they read in the media and seem to be pleasantly surprised to realize they
know a lot! We also discuss
when we see shows on yoga, such as on Oprah, and share our opinions and
what we learned.
Occasionally,
I will get a hold of an academically oriented article on the benefits of
yoga for a particular physical ailment, and offer it to interested
students, especially if they are encouraging a family member with that
ailment to take up yoga. I
recently had an article from the Alternative Therapies Journal on a
study showing how yoga helps asthmatics, which was of interest to several
students.
Wellness
Tips
Yoga
teachers are often great repositories of information on holistic health
practices. Over the years I
have received great ideas from my yoga teachers on everything from water
consumption to homeopathic remedies.
Each teacher should look at their own areas of expertise and
training in order to find information to share.
In order to develop a base of information to share with my
students, I collect information from sources that are well supported by
scientific studies. RealAge.com
offers an online health tip of the day that might include information on
anything from diet and nutrition to relaxation techniques.
I also have suggested that the students try checking out various
websites, such as the free, comprehensive on-line health assessment
available at RealAge.com.
Seasonal
Classes
Often
there are times throughout the year when certain areas of information are
especially important, and I often create a class devoted to a particular
issue. Most yoga teachers are
familiar with the Neti pot and its uses for cleaning the sinus
passageways. While this is
always a handy tool, during allergy and cold seasons, I not only bring the
Neti pot to class, I have developed a whole class based on sinus and
respiratory health. We
practice a variety of techniques and poses especially beneficial for sinus
and respiratory health, including various nasal washes, the cat stretch,
facial massage and acupressure points, the bow pose, and the locust, and
various chest-expanding poses.
Prior
to the December holidays, I give my students a sheet to refer to for quick
relief from holiday stress, featuring in particular Vaparitakarani (the
“Legs up the Wall pose”) which is a wonderful rejuvenator after too
much shopping, cooking, and running around.
Each time of the year provides its own unique aspects and
opportunities to create a special class.
Diet
and Nutrition
A major part of yoga involves making healthy food choices, and we
often discuss these issues in class.
I once shared an article on the many health benefits of green tea,
and then brought a box of green tea bags to pass out to the class in order
to encourage our reticent coffee-drinking or black tea diehards to try
something new. In the summer,
we always review the importance of proper water consumption and review
ideas for monitoring fluid intake and increasing fluid consumption.
We talk about filling a large pitcher with water and using it for
drinking water in order to assess actual water consumption, and eating
foods particularly high in water content (including watermelon, cucumbers,
apples, oranges, and soups). I
have brought in foods that many of the students are not familiar with,
such as ground flax seed and soy butter so that they can become familiar
with these foods and will be more likely to give them a try when they’re
in the grocery store.
Meditation
Most
yoga teachers are sharing a variety of meditation techniques with their
students, including breath awareness and mantra repetition.
Sharon Salzburg, author and founder of the Insight Meditation
Society has several meditations on the Oprah.com website that can add a
new dimension to your meditation teaching tools.
One of her techniques for mindfulness meditation, which we have not
yet tried, is to eat a small piece of food, like a raisin, slowly, with
total awareness. On occasion,
it is fun to bring in a tape with a guided visualization for a change of
pace. Some of my students who
have expressed that they have a hard time quieting their minds have
positively commented on the Joy of Meditating tape by Salle Merrill
Redfield.
Positive
Thinking
The
positive mental state is such an important part of yoga.
Swami Rama, founder of the Himalayan Institute used to say,
“cheerfulness is the best medicine”.
I sometimes bring in inspirational quotes or short readings for
students to reflect upon. Two of my favorite books on the importance of a
“high vibration” or positive mental attitude are by Jerry and Esther
Hicks (A New Beginning II) and Sanaya Roman (Spiritual Growth).
Each of these books has some great quotes and Sanaya’s book has
many guided meditations on achieving spiritual growth.
My new favorite quote is by the late hippie leader Jerry Rubin:
“Don’t tell me what you believe.
Show me what you do 24 hours a day and I’ll tell you what you
believe.” This quote has
served as an inspiration to my own personal yoga practice.
So,
open up your creative side, and have fun with your class material.
There are so many areas about which we can share with our classes.
Yoga is not just solemn postures, but is hopefully a lifestyle of
joy and knowledge which we can share with our students.
|
|
|
|
