Lessons learned from my first year as a yoga teacher in Rishikesh - India

 This is my story during a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, India. The purpose behind Yoga practice is to achieve balance. Before I started learning to teach yoga, I assumed that I’d learn a lot about yoga poses, the human body, some Sanskrit, deepen my knowledge about meditation… What I hadn’t expected were all the ongoing lessons beyond the yoga teacher training. They say you never stop learning and nowhere is that truer than when it comes to teaching yoga. I’m coming to the end of my first-year teaching and here are just some of the (many) things I’ve figured out in year one.

You are your own biggest critic

The pressure we put on ourselves is huge, and it can be so easy to fall into the comparison trap: Why can’t I do that pose? Why aren’t my classes always full? Why aren’t I doing x, y and z to develop my yoga business?

As a brand-new yoga teacher, it can easy to assume all your plans will immediately come to life — but good things take time. Having a lot of drive is great but I’ve come to realize I have to give myself a break — I’m doing pretty well.

Teaching yoga changes your relationship with yoga

Most of us will have started teaching yoga because we adore practicing it so much — but what happens when every time you hit the mat you’re thinking, ‘this would be great in class’? It certainly changes things.

I love my personal practice but it has changed over the last year. I now try and keep class planning completely separate from my personal yoga practice. Going to other classes and learning from other teachers will never bring you so much joy as when you are a teacher yourself.

Connection is everything

Ironically, since teaching yoga is all about being with other people, it can be a bit isolating being a teacher. You’re on your own when it comes to class planning, marketing, setting up your classes and schedule, and while you’re with people in class it’s not often you get huge amounts of feedback (especially after a long Savasana).

Connecting with other yogis is amazing — I have made some amazing new yoga friends online, at trainings and from going to local classes, and that sense of community makes life as a teacher so much more fun and rewarding.

You have to say no

Being a new teacher doesn’t mean you have to jump headfirst into every single opportunity that comes your way. Looking after yourself is important and that doesn’t just mean keeping up your practice or eating well (although of course, that is pretty crucial).

It also means being realistic about what you take on, and scheduling your diary so you don’t end up burned out or rushed off your feet. Don’t be afraid to say no to things that don’t completely work for you.

Read Self-care for yoga teachers

Running a business and being a yoga teacher are two very different things

Being a great yoga teacher does not make you a great business person. Money makes lots of yogis feel awkward and figuring out what to charge is hard as a new teacher. I felt guilty charging a certain amount because I felt I was ‘new and inexperienced’.

But remember all your hours of practice, all your knowledge and the time you spent in teacher training…Money is like energy and you are giving a lot of yours. Undercharging is no good for anyone and devalues yoga for everyone, so know you are awesome and charge accordingly!

Likewise, it’s scary to put yourself out there and advertise your class or workshops in case no one comes — but you have to separate your work from your ego. If no one comes, then it may just be that the time / format / venue perhaps isn’t the best for you to pursue going forward.

You will find your people

Fresh out of teacher training, I assumed I would be teaching a completely broad range of people from the get-go, and everyone would completely understand what I was trying to teach. In reality, much of the last year has been about me figuring out my niche, identifying who my target market is, and refining my teaching style. It’s impossible to please every single person and that’s okay — but I’ve learned to stay solid in what I’m doing rather than try and change to suit particular people.

Social media is a blessing and a curse

Instagram is full of people doing unrealistic versions of asana but if you see these things all the time (and nothing else) you will start thinking it’s normal. Realistically, most of the people coming to my class aren’t interested in learning to do a Handstand so I started to question what value this content was giving me.

I’ve learned to unfollow accounts that make me feel bad and instead discovered other amazing resources (on and offline) that add a huge amount of value to my life and teaching.

You will figure out what’s important to you as a teacher

I learned so much during yoga teacher training but I have learned so much more this past year. Only experience can help you realize what your core values and focus as a teacher are. I am slowly uncovering who I really want to be as a teacher and figuring out where I ‘fit’ in terms of style, spirituality, alignment is a constantly evolving process.

No one knows everything, and that is totally okay. Wisest are they who know they do not know. I am sure the years ahead will have infinitely more lessons for me. It’s all a journey after all, but what a fun one to be had.

Here I suggest all yoga lovers to came Rishikesh and join Yoga Temple India, one of the best Yoga Teacher Training School in India. Expand your yoga horizons with articles on yoga, meditation, philosophy, recipes and anatomy.

Yoga for stress management, how to do?

 Stress is universal. It affects unconditionally everyone, knowing no boundaries. While a small amount of stress can actually motivate you to take positive action in your life, too much stress can weigh on you like an illness. In fact, stress does contribute to several types of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression. And if left unaddressed, too much stress can actually cause physical health concerns, even increasing your risk for heart disease.

Stress in the modern world:

No one likes being stressed; it’s just the way we humans are designed to be. So, it’s obvious that just like we feel happy, we feel stressed too.

And it’s not only you; almost all of us feel stressed at least once a day. You can be a student who is stressed for his results or a Teacher who is stressed because you have got a lot of copies to check. Stress is a part of our lives, or wait — an ‘unlikely’ part of our lives.

The urban existence and work culture have surely transported about a great impact on the individual economic status, but it has grossly reduced the quality of life. Moreover, people now have to deal with stress in dissimilar forms in their everyday lives.

It nearly seems like there’s nothing that they can do to combat stress. The bills won’t stop showing up, the day will never have more hours, and your household and work responsibilities will always be demanding.

If you still think it’s okay to be stressed, hear me out: studies find that long term stress could lead to fatal health problems like heart disease, cancer, lung disease, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicides.

Too much stress causes the body’s defence system — known as “fight-or-flight” — to kick in. The nervous system releases a flood of stress hormones that include adrenaline and cortisol. This emergency stress response causes the heart to pound faster, blood pressure to rise, muscles to tighten, and breathing to become more rapid.

Frequent stress can cause the body to be in a heightened state of stress most of the time, which leads to suppressed immunity, digestive and reproductive problems, increased aging, and a greater risk of heart attack and stroke. Stress can also leave you more vulnerable to mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety.

Stages of stress:

· Stage 1: You will experience changes in your mental stability. You’ll be more anxious and will experience a lack of sleep.

· Stage 2: You will notice changes in your body like a spike in blood pressure, increased heart rate, and similar symptoms.

· Stage 3: The frequency of the symptoms that you experienced in step 2 will increase.

· Stage 4: You will face serious physical and mental issues that will either require surgery or long-term management.

Getting stressed now and then isn’t a serious issue. But in our day-to-day lives, we often become so used to stress that we do not notice that it is crossing the line. By the time we realise it, unfortunately, it’s too late.

When you feel that stress is getting the better off you, it might be the perfect time to hit the Yoga mat and take charge of your life back.

Wait, Yoga to reduce stress?

Why not? Psychology Today states that more than 85% of people who incorporated Yoga into their day-to-day lives agreed that it helped them counter stress. They also reported that they were happier, more energetic and focused at work.

Yoga for stress management and health:

In a study conducted by The American Council on Exercise (ACE), it was conclusively proved how yoga helps beginners to counter stress. After eight weeks of observing Yoga practitioners they observed there was a fundamental improvement in their physical and mental health.

Yoga to relieve tension:

Yoga is a mind-body exercise that includes physical poses, controlled breathing, and meditation. As I stated above, when you make Yoga as a part of your life, it enhances your physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual health.

The best part of Yoga is that it has many ways of doing it. From complex moves for experts to basic poses for beginners, it suits everyone. Hatha pose is one of the most common forms of stress-relieving Yoga for beginners because of its slow pace and simple movements.

But Yoga isn’t limited to Hatha, you can start with any pose that suits your preferences.

Having said that, let’s see what the 3 core components of Yoga are:

· Asanas (poses):

A pose or posture in Yoga is a combination of movements targeted to enhance your strength and flexibility. They are also called Asanas. These Asanas differ. For beginners, they start from simply lying on the floor, whereas for experts, such Asanas mean stretching their body beyond physical limits.

· Breathing:

If you think breathing is just taking in and letting go of air, the yoga gurus would disagree. Controlled breathing is a core element for an effective Yoga session. When you control your breathing, you actually take control of your mind and body.

· Meditation:

The core purpose of Yoga is to calm your otherwise anxious body through relaxation. Through meditation, you discover yourself and feel more refreshed and energetic. Not to forget, the process of discovering yourself is magical!

So, which pose from the above list do you find the easiest? Do you think I missed mentioning something? Do let me us know in the comments. You are welcome to join our stress management yoga teacher training in Rishikesh to develop your mind body and soul.

How to care your student’s wellbeing during COVID-19 in Yoga

 Yoga is life. If you want to healthy in your life, then practice yoga every day in your routine. About 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental health disorder. Couple this with recent research suggesting that 300 million people practice yoga worldwide, and it is realistic to undertake that somebody in your yoga class has knowledgeable, is experiencing or will experience a chapter of poor mental health. Given our current circumstances, this probability is significantly higher, as mental health charities have described an increase in cases of anxiety, OCD and depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yoga Teacher Training in India

Yet for all this, yoga teachers are not therapists, nor would they be dealt with the accountability of counselling their students. Mental health is a gentle stuff that involves a unique kindliness and education, knowledge not obtained in a groundwork teacher training.

What yoga teachers can do is take steps to ensure their students feel safe and supported in class. Below are some suggestions on how to do so.

“How are you, really?”

Ask your students how they are. It is a simple question, and yet one that is charged with meaning. These four words create an opportunity for your student to open up, to put into words thoughts or feelings that may have felt unspeakable. Conflicting to what you may imagine, you do not need to provide life-changing advice, the mere act of taking an interest and hearing to your students is enough to show your support.

While studying Yoga in India, we often ask students to check in with themselves or pay attention to our thoughts and feelings. For some, this self-examination can stimulate an expressive response. While guiding a class through the physical practice, it is important we are sensitive to the emotional reactions. Checking in with your students at the end of a class allows them the space to verbalize their experience, and in doing so, perhaps identify something that needs exploring/greater attention.

Pay Attention

Unlike the plain cast signaling a broken arm, mental health conditions are not so obviously visible. Since of this, it is all the harder to approach/address. In presence of props, a shoulder sling or dressing, it is all the more significant to pick up on subtle signs: missing a regular yoga class, entering the class late, seeming distracted or leaving a class immediately.

It is well recognized that physical activity is good for mental health, as is possession up a regular monotonous. Of course, you cannot force your students to attend weekly yoga classes, however helpful it may be to their wellbeing. However, you can make doing so more reachable. Monthly packages encourage a sense of responsibility and commitment to screening up each week, even if that is so not to lose out financially!

Create a Yoga Community

In lockdown we have a heightened consciousness for the importance of joining, but community and social support has always been crucial/fundamental to our sense of wellbeing. As yoga teachers we have the chance to connect like-minded individuals, whether that be through weekly “challenges” to build group spirit/solidarity, or separate means of communication through Facebook or WhatsApp groups. Being part of a group can combat feelings of isolation that so often arise in those struggling with their mental health. While we are not able to physically attend classes, virtual groups serve to foster this element of belonging and community.

Direct Them to Resources

As mentioned above, yoga teachers are not counsellors. It is a division that is often blurry by those employed in the industry, their vocation choice motivated by a craving to help others. Yet, while it may be attractive to share particular involvements and guidance, such advice can be misunderstood or even destructive by those in a defenseless position.

It is, consequently, more practical and helpful to guide your schoolchildren toward professional support. We are here now to help all yogis to explore their yoga skills to next level. A special COVID 19 discounts for 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in India, available now. Book before 31st December 2020 to get this offer.