Teaching Advice in Afghanistan

Hi Timothy

That’s a great thing to have been asked to teach. Indeed an honor! You will have fun.

I totally agree that teaching static poses could be easier for you. It’s also initially better because it’s easier to track your class. People tend to be able to work in unison – if you give them strong start, finish and occasional breathing cues. This in and of itself will allow you to keep your focus on the students and where you’re at in your instruction.

The Hot Yoga MasterClass (thank you for the comment re purchase) will help you because it has the step by step movements, the photos to go alongside that, plus many, many photos of people making mistakes and then how to correct them.

The DVD (Vol 1) will make it easier because you can watch a single pose and see ideal and often someone making the mistake (and it’s clearly marked). This will be useful in your progress. In the beginning it COULD (I cannot be sure) be easy for you to SEE the mistakes but not do anything about them. So partly you want clear instructions of what to say (obviously couched in the positive).

I have another couple of solid ideas for you, so please email me personally, either gabrielle@ or through the forum messaging system.

Looking forward to hearing from you

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Timothy

Reading your post I couldn’t help feeling happy and excited on your behalf for being offered this opportunity.

It is indeed an honour, which much have been bestowed upon you for good reason. On the basis of your post I can already glean a few: you’re honest, you’re humble and you have a sense of responsibility – all essential qualities in a good yoga teacher. 🙂

However, your post also raises a few questions, not necessarily pertaining to you in particular, but more to the issue of teaching in general. Having said that, would you mind telling me/us what your background is? Do you have knowledge of yoga anatomy? Are you comfortable with the prospect of having to advise other people with injuries – operating in an environment where people are not ‘afraid of a challenge’, you might find yourself needing/compelled to give support of this nature as well.

I’m asking not because I think you need to justify yourself but because as quite a dedicated practitioner myself, I find this dimension important, especially since it’s one that appears to be lacking even in certified teachers. I acknowledge that this is a contentious isue, so let me clarify my position as best as I can.

We learn an awful lot simply through our own practice; through following meaningful instruction, and also through observing, listening to and correcting ourselves. Our learning is also greatly enhanced by consulting other reliable, i.e. thoroughly researched, literature and teachings. It is precisely the latter that makes one realize just how much there is to learn. Not only in terms of acquiring the correct technique, working with, and overcoming, obstacles as they present themselves along the way – but also in terms of the knowledge, experience and insight – and integrity – that’s required for someone to be a *good teacher*.

I grant that instructors have to be allowed the time and opportunity to gain experience and expand their knowledge to eventually become good teachers/educators. But surely one needs a certain level of practice and solid, generalizable knowledge and insight before one starts to teach? (One only needs to read G.’s detailed engagement with and responses to seemingly simple questions on the Forum pages to be able to recognize that.)

I suppose, G., this one really is for you. 🙂

C.