How to layer your asana classes with yoga philosophy - Transcript

​Hello, and welcome to four yoga teachers. This podcast has been created to help yoga teachers teach with passion, avoid burnout and earn a fair living.

And today we're looking at how to layer your asana classes with yoga philosophy. You're probably a yoga teacher because yoga has improved your life, possibly immeasurably.

And you have a desire, maybe a need, to share that with others. Whilst asana is a hugely important part of yoga, it's not the full story. And as such, as yoga teachers, sharing the full story, the roots and the history of yoga is probably a really important part of the job. But it's not necessarily a part of the job that comes easily.

It's not covered usually in teacher trainings, and it might not even be that accessible. Well, this podcast episode aims to change that. We're looking at practical tips to layer your asana classes with yoga philosophy, to weave in themes and wisdom without having to be fluent in Sanskrit, without having to be completely and totally authentically knowledgeable about the entire history of yoga.

Basically, we're aiming to take your reservations and fears out of sharing the fullness of what yoga is, whilst also deeply respecting yoga and all its roots. So let's crack on.

Start in your comfort zone. Have a think. First of all, what about yoga, the yoga beyond the asana, has had a useful or positive effect on you? What would you be happy telling someone about in an informal conversation? Let Just start there, start with where your heart is and go from there. And if you find yourself thinking, I should do this.

Pause and ask yourself, where is that should coming from? And can you just put it to one side? Let the class be true to you and trust that it will reach people who need it.

You don't have to come up with something new every week. Weaving yoga philosophy into your asana classes can be really powerful. But there's no need to think that just because you've done it one week that you need to do it every week. Or if you do include philosophy every week, there's no need to think that it has to be something new and enlightening and life changing each week.

In fact, there's a lot of sense, a lot of validity in revisiting a topic or an idea and asking people to reflect on it, bearing in mind the week that they've just had. Yoga philosophy is, after all, for real life. Let's say you introduce the idea of Santosha, contentment and someone hears it But they're not that bothered then a couple of days after your class They find out that they didn't get the job that they were really hoping for, then, they come back to your class You revisit Santosha and it might be that now They're able to resonate with the power of finding contentment with where they are right now

Theme the entire class not just the beginning and end. It's really common for yoga teachers to get everyone set up in shavasana or child's pose or seated meditation at the beginning of class and say The focus for today's class is X. And then go on and teach some gorgeous sequences. But not refer back to the focus.

And then, last thing, in shavasana, remind people Oh, so the focus was this, how do you feel now? I'd really recommend not doing this. I'd really recommend allowing your philosophy theme to lead the asanas that you choose and the way that you put together your sequences. Allow for periods of reflection and extra information from you as you go through your class so that your philosophy focus is sprinkled over the entire class rather than being just a bit of something at the beginning and at the end.

Get feedback. It's so great to get an idea of how what you say lands on people. So ask them. I know, a bit nerve wracking, but maybe you just start a chat after class. Did that make sense to you today? Or have you got any questions about what I said? And if people don't say much, don't read too much into that.

But if people say that really made sense or That was just what I needed to hear today. Let that be a little confidence boost. So in your moments where you're feeling reserved and shy about sharing your knowledge, you can remember how much it helped someone.

Keep it simple. There really is no need to go huge, to include loads of Sanskrit, to include the exact scripture. As yoga teachers, we have to meet people where they are, and many people could be put off by what might come across as elitist. So play to your knowledge and your strengths and make it simple.

But invite people to ask questions if they have any and let them know that you're happy to expand if they want to know more. It's a good idea to run through your entire class, including your explanation of your focus or theme, and see if you feel nervous at any point. If so, pause and investigate why that might be. Or do you lose your way a little bit? Is that because there's something you're not quite sure about? If so, can you make your knowledge and therefore your confidence a bit more concrete? When it flows well for you, it will flow well for your yogis.

Commit to your ongoing learning. This is by far the most, most, most important point in sharing yoga philosophy and the wisdom and the life changing insight with your yogis. Keep learning and keep practicing. And remember, yoga philosophy doesn't have to be learnt from a book. Look for satsangs with teachers that inspire you.

Look for trainings by teachers that are immersed in it, such as our philosophy training at Yoga Hero. Trust that you'll pick up what you need. Commit to practicing it and then add to it in time. This is so important. As yoga teachers, we often put most of our focus on teaching and much less on practicing.

So let's address that balance and be students forever. Well, until we're enlightened anyway. If you'd like more information on our philosophy training, take a look at the show notes for this episode or drop us a line, we're always happy to help.

So that's it for now lovely teachers. And if you have a couple of minutes free we'd be so so grateful if you could rate and review this podcast wherever you listen to it. And as always, happy teaching.