Whether a yoga class should start sitting or standing has always been a matter of debate, but both methods are fine; and many Yoga teachers do both, depending on the particular lesson plan.
One thing that should not be missing from your yoga class is a proper warm-up and warm-up exercises, which will slowly warm up your joints, connective tissue, and muscle tissue. Some Yoga teachers may feel that advanced Yoga practitioners do not need to do a detailed warm up, and I strongly disagree with this philosophy.
Consider this: Professional athletes, who practice and train almost every day, are always given instructions to warm up. This is very cautious, but with professional athletes, thousands or millions of dollars could be at stake.
Yoga students do not typically have as many “high risks” involved in physically performing their jobs, but each student should be taught with safety guidelines intact. This is why I feel so strongly about the value of a warm-up at the beginning of a yoga class: It’s just common sense to take care of your students.
Should you start or end a Yoga class with meditation? Some yoga teachers guide students through meditation at the beginning and end of the same yoga class, while others teach meditation only after asana practice.
Unfortunately, a comparatively small number of Hatha Yoga teachers do not include meditation at all. This happens when a Hatha Yoga class becomes a “fitness only” atmosphere. In truth, this is the prerogative of every Yoga teacher; and some health clubs may not want meditation in yoga classes.
When you are teaching Hatha Yoga, you are teaching mental, physical, and sometimes spiritual health. Meditation addresses a valuable component of health, but exercise alone is no guarantee of good mental health. Therefore, if you are teaching any style of Yoga, you should at least teach the basics of meditation as part of your Yoga classes.
How should you incorporate Pranayama into your Yoga class? With beginners, you should cover at least three Pranayama techniques that you commonly use during the course of a Yoga class. If you make Pranayama an extra curricular part of the class, some beginners may try to avoid that particular time in yoga class.
Many Yoga teachers have gotten used to full classes, and it wasn’t that long ago, when we taught small, dedicated groups of students. Therefore, we want to maintain popularity, but any component of Yoga can become unpopular.
This creates a delicate line for full-time yoga teachers to walk. You know the benefits of long-term Yoga practice, but beginners have to stay long enough to “feel the results.” This is very different from exercise, where a practitioner can see visual results in a month or two.
The many health benefits of a well-prepared Yoga class take time, and you must use public relations skills along the way so that students see the “big picture.”
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications