As we return to the (sometimes unpredictable) world of teaching yoga, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the schedule of classes, 1-2-1s and workshops we’ve taken on. After a relaxed and introspective festive season, yoga classes are often busy and bustling during January, and having a few yoga teaching tools to guide both ourselves and our students through this season can help smooth the entry into a new year.
This edition of Teacher’s Tips is all about starting the year feeling grounded and un-hurried – recognising that we’re still in the midst of Winter and that a ‘new year new me’ style January full of hardcore practices and overly intricate sequences can leave us (and our students) feeling exhausted before 2020 even gets going. Of course, we all have our passions and favourite ways of sharing yoga, but if you’re looking for ways to bring something new and seasonal to your classes, try these tips:
Get Grounded:
If our minds are busy and our students seem scattered, focussing on the earth element and the Muladhara chakra (root chakra) can help encourage a sense of feeling grounded and settled. Try theming your class on the root chakra by choosing strong, steady and seated postures (think Warriors, plank, seated forward folds and bridge), use language like ‘safe, supported and stable’, as the root chakra needs these primary feelings in order to be balanced, therefore allowing the rest of the chakras and the energy system to flow healthily. The yogic symbol for the earth element is a yellow square, and this can also be very grounding when used in a visualisation practice. If you use mantras in class, choose the bija mantra ‘Lam’, the mantra of the root chakra and a very grounding, calming seed syllable mantra.
Start Simple:
January can be busy enough, and as you know, many people come to yoga to relax…. There are a lot of new students to look after when it comes to January classes, and those carefully choreographed sequences that flowed beautifully before Christmas might be a little too much for beginners. Practice the ‘less is more’ approach, focussing on feeling into postures, slowing the pace and guiding classes through a practice that’ll leave them feeling unhurried and de-stressed. A simple approach can very often be incredibly meditative, allowing students of all abilities to tune into the breath and drop into the moment, rather than scrambling to keep up with everyone else.
Breathe:
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” – says Amit Ray, an Indian author and spiritual master. It’s true that much of our anxiety is caused by thinking about things that have happened in the past or things that might happen in the future, both of which we have no control over. When we bring our awareness to the breath, we subsequently align ourselves with the present moment, the only moment we can really take action in. When we remember to breathe slowly, deeply and consciously, we create the habit of bringing ourselves back to the present moment, signalling to the brain, body and nervous system that it’s safe to relax.
Body Positivity:
There’s already so much post-festive guilt and emphasis on weight loss and detoxing in January, that a yoga practice can often serve as an oasis of self-acceptance amongst a world that says ‘you’re not good enough’. How can we be that spark of light that lets our students know they’re good enough no matter where they’re at on their health journey? How can we help them celebrate their bodies and find gratitude for their own personal yoga practice, no matter what it looks like? A useful way to bring a theme like this into class is to use a Metta Bhavna meditation, try it out:
Sit in a comfortable position and observe your breathing
Bring your attention to the space of your heart, breathing slowly and deeply and acknowledging feelings of love and caring emanating from this space
Repeat to yourself:
- May I be well, healthy and strong.
- May I be happy.
- May I abide in peace.
Bring into your mind someone you like a lot and respect.
Send them these thoughts of warmth and caring, as you wish them well:
- May you be well.
- May you be happy.
- May you abide in peace.
Bring to mind someone you barely know and feel neutral about. This may be someone you have seen in the street, who you see on the bus, or pass in the corridor at work.
Send them these thoughts of warmth and caring, as you wish them well:
- May you be well.
- May you be happy.
- May you abide in peace.
Bring to mind someone you have recently been upset with or have argued with. Choose someone with whom you have been mildly irritated. It may have been a slow driver or someone at work, but not someone you feel has hurt you deeply.
Send them these thoughts of warmth and caring, as you wish them well:
- May you be well.
- May you be happy.
- May you abide in peace.
If you wish, do this with someone who has upset you in the past. It is important to remember that you’re not condoning or approving of what they have done. You are simply allowing yourself to let go of any pain or anger you hold within yourself, allowing yourself freedom from those feelings.
Send them these thoughts of warmth and caring, as you wish them well:
- May you be well.
- May you be happy.
- May you abide in peace.
Send the loving-kindness gradually outward to everyone in the surrounding area, your town, your country, the world.
- May you all be well.
- May you all be happy.
- May you all abide in peace.
Finally, focus once again on yourself, so the feeling of loving-kindness fills your whole being; breathing in peacefully, breathing out peacefully; at peace inside and with world.
- May I be well.
- May I be happy.
- May I abide in peace.
Finish by becoming aware of your breathing and the room around you once again.
Mindful Mudras:
Choosing a mudra to begin your class can really focus the energy of the room, and serve as an anchor point for students’ minds to return to if they become distracted. Whilst primarily used as a separate practice or in combination with meditation, mudras can be creatively woven throughout classes as a reminder of an intention they may have set, or the theme of the class. Ganesh mudra is a great choice for January yoga classes, as it refers to the elephant-headed god Ganesha, known as the ‘remover of obstacles’. This mudra represents clearing the path ahead, encouraging a peaceful, prosperous and problem-free future, whilst simultaneously emboldening us to acknowledge any past obstacles we’ve faced in life that have helped us learn and grow.