r/YogaTeachers

Hello - has anyone had to “fire” a student? Request that he/she is no longer welcome. How did you do this and how did it go?

Thanks

i’ve been practicing for 4 years on and off, but have been consistent these last 2 years. I’ve always thought about going through the process to become a teacher but still feel like i have more to learn before i could teacher others.

i am an elementary school teacher and have always felt fulfilled teaching and helping others, but when did you feel comfortable to make that jump from just student to teacher?

Some preliminaries - my lineage is far afield (literally) from studio-based yoga. We practice primarily outdoors (hence the field allusion) avoid the hierarchy inherent in the “teacher/student” paradigm (those of us who are called take turns leading class) and our practice derives from Dhanurveda. Thus, we view mukta (weapons that are released from the hand, typically arrows from a bow) as a metaphor for moksha, he soul’s release from samsara, the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth.

With this as context, at a recent practice in a secluded area, one of the group, after first asking if anyone would be offended, extended the metaphor and encouraged everyone to “release themselves from the tyranny of clothing.” Everyone joined in w/ various levels of undress, depending on their comfort level. There was no pressure and certainly nothing sexual about it.

I have to admit that I was skeptical at first. I am something of a traditionalist and our lineage encourages modesty and moderation. But, yoga is evolving and I am willing to evolve with it. We had a very good practice. I observed that there is a fair amount of ego associated with clothing. The clothing optional approach encouraged a greater feeling of equality. It also put us closer to nature. The metaphor held.

Anyone with clothing optional experience? Many of the group want to continue clothing optional. How do we hold space for the more modestly oriented yogis? Any other observations or suggestions?

Thank you so very much for your interest and comments.

Hey there. I’m currently taking online teacher classes but am greatly struggling as no one around me speaks yoga. Any advice on getting through the course alone?

I have shared about this in various ways here before, but in preparation for an upcoming Yoga Alliance focus group on AI and Yoga, I decided to organize some of my thoughts a bit on the topic and simply share this here for discussion, etc. This is not exhaustive and simply a starting point to expand from.

Some folks here in the past have asked "how exactly is AI antithetical to yoga philosophy / yoga?"

Here are some less than complete thoughts on the incompatibility of "AI" and yoga, framed inside of many core principles from yoga or yoga philosophy. I have combined some similar principles together in some cases. These are obviously just my own interpretations and I have not cited anything in this post - no one pays me a penny to write a cited paper (or un-cited post) on Reddit... If you would like sources / citations / links for anything, feel free to ask in the comments and I will do my best.

To me, so many of these points seem so painfully obvious that I almost didn't write some of it out for fear of "well, duh...", but I tried to be as general as possible for the sake of presenting in the information. There is a lot more expansion I could add to many of these points and I feel certain that I have missed some things, as there's always more to say. This is not normally the format (bullet points, etc) that I share in on Reddit, so please feel free to add your own and/or add to the discussion in any way you see fit.

*footnote - Many use the term "AI", but what we are actually talking about (typically) are LLMs (large language models), the tech industry that develops and sells them and those that fund them.

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ahimsa (non-violence) - Highly concerning environmental impact / damage via data centers - greatly increased power & water consumption / demand on an already heavily leveraged planet, air pollution, noise pollution. There are also so, so many instances coming to light now (many of them being litigated in the form of major lawsuits) of AI/LLM-induced mass murder, suicide, psychosis / delusion and otherwise general psychological damage to society at large via methods of model sycophancy, addictive tactics of keeping users engaged with the tech and isolation / erosion of sense of reality and social connection to the actual world and other people. *A note should also be added that the major AI / tech companies have used human labor in developing / economically under developed countries to "train" their models in grueling and psychologically damaging methods that include repeatedly exposing humans to CSAM and other heavily explicit material in the process of model "training".

asteya (non-stealing) - likely the largest single IP (intellectual property) theft of the modern age. There is no getting around the fact that LLMs are trained on stolen data that essentially none of us consented to nor were compensated for and this continues to be the case. I personally think this is a foundational and crucial point for understanding the complete lack of ethics / values on display in the tech industry; however, many seem to gloss over it. There is also the point of the tremendous and insatiable appetite for greed and power from the tech industry and their financial backers. Resources of a massive scale that could be going towards much more helpful and useful things have been and are still being funneled continuously into this tech industry with hopes of collecting on their return when the times comes. The time, energy and psychological resources of society are being involuntarily stolen for the potential profit and control of the tech industry.

satya (truth), viveka (discernment), asato ma sadgamaya (lead me from the unreal to the real) - There is no concept or sense of truth or discernment in an LLM; it is simply a mathematical equation that is based on predicting what the statistically likely next character or word is (based on its training data). The training data could literally be anything and has no amount of discernment or context attached to it. LLMs do not think, they calculate based on training data...that's it. This is why you have the hilarious example from a recent post where someone said they asked an LLM "why do yoga teachers teach with their eyes closed?" only to receive an answer that stated that it was to encourage pratyahara...as if that was an acceptable and correct answer. Anyone who as ever taught even a single yoga class knows that this is incorrect and completely out of context for 98% of any asana class, but this was what apparently was most likely statistically based on its training data. It has no reliable or skilled way of interpreting which data is correct, relevant, in proper context, and ultimately useful, particularly for an experiential and embodied practice such as yoga.

Embodiment - AI / LLMs have no body. Period. There is zero frame of reference or actual context that an LLM can draw upon that is its own and isn't simply something that it scraped as "relevant" based on its training data, which is highly variable in quality. They do not move, breathe, feel or think. They are complex and extremely expensive calculators. There is no good reason to ask a calculator about embodiment, especially not at what this truly costs.

jnana (knowledge), karma (action without attachment to results / skill in action) - Continuing on the above, what does this say about the state of knowledge and what it means to truly gain / hold it if it can be conflated so easily with what these theft calculators confidently provide? Where is the sense of true learning, effort for the sake of effort without attachment to the results, learning from our own mistakes and correcting in ways that you can only do through experience and your own personal knowledge? Why are we so quick and eager to outsource this for the facade of convenience and efficiency?

brahmacharya (appropriate use of energy), aparigraha (non-grasping) maya (illusion) - this can be tied closely with the points in ahimsa regarding actual planetary energy use, but I would argue as well that so much of the individual and collective energy of society is being spent / wasted in frustration, anxiety, rage or worse with the ever present "growth" and proliferation and endless propaganda of AI into every facet of our lives. Psychologists have already termed "AI anxiety" as something prevalent enough to create a name for it in less than 3 years since public unveiling of Chat GPT. I am not a litigious person, but I think society as a whole has a case for "emotional & psychological damages" against big tech simply for this alone. The toll this takes on us daily should not be minimized and it feels like a direct opposition of living with the concept of brahmacharya. What sense of brahmacharya or aparigraha is there in using a technology that actively encourages you to use it more and more and more and is subsidized (by VC investors) to be so accessible, available and ubiquitous. Where is the sense of healthy moderation, lack of greed and taking only what we need from this AI-crazed approach? What type of illusion is being presented at large to society in the form of AI, when the reality is actually much different?

svadhyaya (study), sadhana (practice) - This feels pretty obvious, but over-reliance on a machine to "think" for us and "give us answers" actively erodes our own willingness and strength / capacity to do that for ourselves. Why would we need to earnestly study something if we can just ask the chat bot to tell us the answer? Why would we need to have our own steady and thoughtful practice if we can just download the AI sequencing app that plans our classes for us? Why should we reflect on our own experiences, struggles, studies and insights if we can just ask Chat GPT for "inspiration for class themes"? What is our role as a teacher and what are we actually "teaching" if we outsource core elements of the experience and work to a calculator?

atmavichara (self inquiry) - similar to the above, but why should we do the difficult work of self inquiry when we can ask the chat bot for the bastardized cliff notes? One of the primary methods of yoga is self inquiry with the goal of knowing yourself well enough to be able to make the right decisions in moments of both simplicity and complexity. Yoga could be thought of as the active process of self inquiry and searching for truth via discernment, clarity and embodiment, among others things. Why would we want to bypass this beautiful process of yoga simply to receive a stolen calculator answer that is mostly likely not even fully correct?

Do we really believe in these principles and want this to be represented / supported in the way we practice and teach yoga? I have a really hard time seeing the tech industry and AI / LLMs being truly inline with so much of yogic philosophy and living.

As a preemptive response to those who are pro-AI and think it is a net positive to society - do some research on the environmental impacts, the philosophical framework of the movement, psychological damages to society and the financial structure / (insanity) of the current tech industry and ask yourself: "is what we have in the form of "AI" actually worth what it is truly costing us?"

Feel free to add your own points to the conversation, as I am just one person and know I left some stuff out.

Hey friends. I need some tips on writing/sequencing classes out.

I am definitely overthinking this- what's the simplest and best way you write out your Sequences? Is there an app or site or method you use? Thanks

Hello, since moving to North America in 2023, I’ve encountered three teachers who taught with their eyes closed. Initially I thought it was because they’d memorised their class plan and were closing their eyes so they didn’t get distracted and lose their place.

I was at a new class yesterday and again the teacher had her eyes closed throughout class (although she was also walking about so I’m hoping she did open her eyes sometimes).

I asked Gemini why some teachers do this and it said it was to encourage pratyahara, which sort of made sense but I wondered if anyone who teaches this way could explain the thinking behind the practice please.

I've been teaching yoga since 2022 and recently started an outdoor park class on Sunday afternoons. It's new but gaining traction. I have around 20 people in my community group and two people showed up to the very first class which I consider a win.

Another yoga teacher reached out to me. She graduated last year and doesn't have much experience yet. She had been doing casual classes in the same park and wanted to team up, she'd teach Saturday mornings and I'd continue Sundays and we'd cross-promote and support each other under my brand. I got excited and agreed quickly, maybe too quickly.

After our first meeting I started having second thoughts. I was worried about brand ownership, trust, money and whether her Saturday classes might overshadow mine since Saturday mornings are a more popular time slot. I also realised I barely know her and had already given her too much access to my community.

I pulled back a bit and suggested a slower approach. She responded really maturely, offered to build her own separate brand for Saturdays and has been nothing but respectful throughout.

I'm now trying to figure out what the right move is and would love to hear from people who have been in similar situations:

• Is partnering with someone this early a good idea or does it create more problems than it solves?
• Does having another teacher at the same park on a different day hurt your attendance or can it grow the local yoga community overall?
• How do you build trust with a fellow teacher before collaborating more formally?
• Any experience with revenue sharing or brand sharing arrangements that went well or badly?

Would love honest opinions!

Hi everyone! I want to share some transparent info as a point of reference for other teachers/aspiring teachers.

Before I became a yoga teacher, I was curious if I would make enough to do it for a living. Most people online say that it's not enough to do studio classes alone, and you must diversify to privates, workshops, trainings, retreats, online, etc. which can be lucrative.

Here is my personal experience, as someone in SoCal.

1st job out of training - gym. $20/class, 2 per week. Very low but I needed experience. (2 months)

2nd job - standard studio, but they don't net a lot of profit. $25/class, 4 per week. (6 months)

Started teaching workshops occasionally at the 2nd studio. They split 50/50, and I would range around $50-150.

3rd job - senior yoga at a city center. $150/class, but only once every few months

4th job - standard studio. Started subbing for $40/class. This seems more consistent with market value and 6 months of experience.

5th job - Mama I made it!!! - luxury gym. $75/class, willing to go up to 12 per week, which would be full time pay. Minimum wage for any other hours spent working (trainings, etc.). Wonderful experience so far, and I am able to work only 12 hours a week and make around $2,800/month. Yes, teaching full time can be tiring, but 12 hours is better than 40, and I love what I do!

They also allow workshops, which I have not done yet, but they split 50/50 and my coworkers make $500+

I say all of this to give you hope. There are a LOT of different avenues to make money in this business. I felt really discouraged at first thinking that I would need to be more entrepreneurial to make it work, but it is not true! Luxury gym space is where it's at! Find whatever works for you, give it your all, and be genuine.

What are your thoughts on a yin class that doesn't use props? I always believed that they are beneficial and should be cued as a resource, not to mention sometimes required for the pose (supported fish?). But I started a new job and they said not to use or "blanket cue" the use of props to the class unless you are offering it as a 1 on 1 support for a student. Am I the only one that thinks this is strange?

Hey everyone, just hoping to get some experiences on how to navigate a tricky conversation and unease please!

Summary: did people get charged fines during training for missed sessions or late homework?

I'm doing in-person teacher training throughout this year. It wasn't in the policies but after joining, the teacher said there is an additional payment per day for missed training, as well as payments for late homework.

I do appreciate it takes additional time to record/upload the sessions, but since we're already paying for the training and missing the in-person discussions and opportunity, it doesn't really sit right.

Is this normal?

Thank you in advance!

Hi there! I recently graduated from my 200hr program and feeling confused and stuck.
I have LOVED yoga for years. I love that it helps me get out of my head and really into my body, challenge myself with poses that make me feel incredibly strong, being able to work towards different poses that I never thought I could get into, it helps calm my nervous system and make me feel relaxed.
I’ve taught fitness classes as well, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to put my two loves together, teaching and yoga. However, after going through the training, I’m feeling a bit defeated and lost(?)

It feels like my cohort all connected so well as a group and I’m an outsider of it. They’re all very vulnerable and discuss how beautiful this experience has been, I haven’t felt that at all.
I thought the subject matter was cool and I was very interested in it, but people were discussing borderline spiritual experiences and I feel like I’m missing something.
It makes me wonder if I just don’t….”get” yoga. Maybe I shouldn’t teach it?
Has anyone else felt this way? Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts!

Can i teach Yoga without Yoga instructor Cert in india.?

After teaching for many years and watching the landscape change, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how hard it can be for traditional teachers to hold space when corporate or high-intensity fitness trends start taking over a studio's vibe.For those of you who have committed your lives to teaching traditional lineages, how do you keep your classes anchored in true mindfulness without feeling pressured to turn your sequences into an aerobic workout? Would love to hear how fellow teachers are protecting their energy and staying true to the roots of the practice these days.

I’ve been going to this climbing gym with an excellent yoga program for about 7 years now and for the last couple years I’ve gotten in the habit of getting my regular teachers a gift during the holiday seasons (usually mid December). It started with gift cards but starting last year I‘ve been doing cash for utilitarian reasons. it ends up being a bit more than what they get paid for a class.

Anyway things are getting rough out there and fortunately I’m doing pretty well for myself and I’d like show my appreciation. I don’t know, maybe for International Yoga day?

Hi r/YogaTeachers, I have a question for you all!
I’ve practiced many styles of yoga regularly for many years and did my YTT, and have been teaching for a while.
There was a time where I practiced ashtanga every day with the local ashtanga teacher, but life happened, injuries happened, mental health happened and I needed to step away to less rigorous forms of yoga.

Here’s the question: I took a workshop style ashtanga class with the same ashtanga teacher again, and they set up the room differently than a usual class. I came in relatively early and asked where to put my mat, and the teacher pointed me to “my spot”. When other people started coming in, they moved my mat ‘further away’ from them, putting the most experienced/dedicated students from their regular mysore classes closer to them. I joked about being “demoted” but we ended up in a line where we were “ranked” by skills/commitment to the teacher.
In a usual mysore class, I’d get that, it’s good to know for a teacher who needs more help/support, but given the fact that this was a hands off workshop, it just rubbed me the wrong way. As if I was “moved away” because I’m not “committed to the teacher”. (It is definitely not about the actual spot, just about the ranking of students for me here) I wouldn’t dare do this in my classes, I want everyone to feel welcome and respected at any level 😬

Thoughts? Feelings? Is this normal in Ashtanga? TIA!

So, I did my 200YTT 3 years ago (January 2023) and the whole experience left me super confused, dysregulated, angry (?), and feeling alone. I feel so envious of people who had an amazing experience, but I’m trying still to find the positive.

After a few years of practicing/learning yoga in studios I finally decided to look into 200YTT. I found this school in Goa that had amazing reviews and it felt like the really cared, looked like it was structured well and most importantly, I thought it was safe. I really wanted to go to India to study and I had been to Goa a few times before and enjoyed the overall vibe, and the vibes were great, I still love Goa to this day. The confusion I had came from the teacher running the school. He was the main teacher and also owned the school with his wife, his mother and kids also lived on the property as well.

At first he seemed super friendly and chill. But then some weird things started happening. There was no physical or sexual assault and nothing directly threatening, but there were some weird instances that made my body feel sooo uncomfortable and alone.

This might be a little long, I’m trying to remember all the weird stuff, I’d love if anyone has any sort of opinion on it even if it’s to just tell me I overreacted. I’m just going to list everything in point form because I feel it’s easier to read and for me to type out.

1. The first thing to happen that made me confused was just 3 days into the month+ long program. They told us there was a shop a maybe 10-15 minutes away by walking and they had food/snacks and some other things. I decided to go and started walking and within maybe 30 seconds my teacher pulls up with the motorcycle and offers me a ride and says he is going there anyways. I don’t really know him yet that well but I can see he is being polite so I said sure, why not, When we get to the store he’s not really looking at anything but mostly just watching me? At one point in in the back of the store looking at crackers and snacks and he sort of corners me and says something so trippy. He asked if I believe in past lives and I said yes. He started to tell me that people are connected through their past lives and he thinks that he knows me from one of his. Mind you, I’ve only said a maximum of 25 words to him by this point? If even that? I do believe in soulmates and past lives, and links but this was just a lot, only 3 days into, to be cornered and presented such information from my yoga teacher that is in his late forties? and married with 2 young children. I was just confused but trying to act like I understood without giving him the wrong idea. It felt like I had to hold space for all my confusion and feelings and als his, and not make him feel judged or uncomfortable or misunderstood. I also found it strange that he told me he had to go to the store but also didn’t purchase anything or look around. He drove me back without getting anything for himself eve though he said he was going there anyways.

2. Everytime after that incident, whenever I’d leave he would be there on his bike to give me a ride. his house is located at the front of the property so you have to pass it in order to leave through the gates. Anytime I left alone, to go to the shop or the beach or wherever, I knew he would be there on his motorbike withing 5 minutes and offer me a ride. The first few times I said sure, like, if he was going that way already then why not. But the last time he gave me a ride he said something so bizarre and I will try and paraphrase it but he was like “I’ve had this feeling that I would be riding with someone on my bike and and it’s like I could feel them there with me. I think it’s you who I have been feeling.” I don’t even remember what I said to that, like I go directly into fawn response and probably said “Hmmm that’s interesting. I wonder why that is”. I stopped accepting rides after that, and he stopped following me out.

3. He told me he wanted to talk to me privately off the property and took me to this beach cabana thing to get a drink and ask about my life during one of our breaks during the day. At first he said we would just go get a coffee and I was like sure, that’s chill. I also love coffee lol. But instead he took me to this beach cabana thing that was incredibly private, minus the person serving us. And asked if I wanted lunch or anything. I think I just got some sort of juice drink? (There wasn’t even any coffee on the menu lol so I remember being a little pissed) and then he started asking me such deep and personal questions about my life. Like my family, my parents, my past relationships, how they ended. Like everything. I gave him some answers but I was also weirdly suspicious of him by this point so I wanted to really see if he would saying anything shocking and weird. During this weird lunch? date? he told me “There is something about your energy that just keeps me drawn to you. Everyone could be in class and I feel like I’m drawn to you only”. I was super naive at this point but also in a really happy, light era of my life so I had gotten this sort of comment regularly, about my energy and soemthing about it, so a it didn’t feel AS odd as it should have. But it was definetly weird and odd coming from him. (Since that year I’ve actually become really protective of my energy and don’t really let most people see those parts of me, that light inside me. It attracts so many weirdos. I think to most people now I come off as cold, quiet, or shy, which is sad in its own ways).

4. At this cabana he told me he wanted me to try this coffee at this castle? He described it fully,how it used to be this Portuguese castle but was not converted to a hotel and it was off this huge cliff and the views were beautiful. He described the courtyards, the trees, all of it. He said he specifically wanted to take me on his bike. I did not agree, I sort of wanted to keep him talking to see what else he was going to say. I just remember thinking, why do you wanna take me to this hotel on your bike? How is the appropriate when you’re married? If I could go back now I’d definetly redirect the discomfort I felt back to him.

5. He only did adjustments on me in class to the point where one of the teaching assistants noticed and commented on it. I had noticed myself as well but was gaslighting myself into thinking that maybe I just wasn’t noticing him doing adjustments on others, that maybe I’m just thinking he’s only adjusting me and no one else. But when the TA made that comment I felt so validated.

6. He also always did this sahvasana “massage” after our practice but only on me. I can’t remember it fully but I think you’d put your hands on the persons shoulders or head? And also on the feet and ankles. IDK if he was trying to do reiki or what but for some reason it was only for me out of 25ish people, everytime. It became so frequent that I would dread the end of the practice because I knew he would’ve coming over while everyone had their eyes close (mine as well) and he would’ve coming just put his hands on me. But how do you tell someone to stop? Someone that is supposed to be your teacher?

7. He starting eating dinner in the area we would all eat some nights, but he would directly position himself so he was staring right at me and he would stare. There was just a different and more intense look he would always give to me but it’s not something that anyone would notice if they weren’t paying super close attention. It felt like he was hiding in plain sight and only I could see it.

8. He felt that I was stressed (obviously lol) and booked me a full body massage (I’m guessing he paid for it too? He didn’t mention costs or anything) and kept saying I had to relax my body. He then walked me to the massage area that was super secluded because he asked if I knew where it was and I said no. So he took me alone to this area with no one else around and was showing me the massage cabanas? rooms? I just didn’t care (i do not enjoy people touching my body, especially in other countries so i had no interest in getting it done). I explained that to him and he was still so insistent I get the massage. I said I would think about it just to get him to drop it and so that I could end the conversation and return to the main area with people around. He didn’t do this with anyone else and I think by this point some other students had started to notice that he was acting differently around me. Offering me rides, insisting I get massages, only doing adjustments on me. I felt so isolated and alone from all the other students when all I wanted was to feel like maybe I found “my people”. It felts so heavy and anxiety infusing for me, while everyone else was so light hearted and open and becoming closer. I remember this much older british guy who was lovely sort of giving me a look and I just looked back at him confused, hoping he could tell I wasn’t comfortable.

9. It was feeling like he was trying to find ways to be alone with me. this one is hard to remember the specifics but I felt like he was always just around me, looking at me, trying to find ways for us to be alone but not in an obvious and direct way. I also experienced this same feeling with a manager at my first job when I was 16 and this teacher reminded me of him so much. That manager later became my stalker, would be outside my house at night, waiting for me outside my walk home from school, and tried to kill himself twice because I wouldn’t be with him. He was 24. The stress I was feeling in my body was very similar to this period in my life. Alone, isolated, powerless, like I was keeping some sort of secret that wasn’t even my own? Their projections of what “we had” when I’m just a fucked up girl trying to get through all this.

10. One day, he spontaneously decided he was going to take all of us on a field trip. He said were we’re going to this portuguese castle and we’d eat at the restaurant there. I thought, hmm another portuguese castle. Interesting. This journey was a 25 minute car ride, a 20 minute ferry ride, and then another 10-15 minutes driving to get to. When we arrived I realized it was exactly the same place he wanted to take me. He didn’t mention it took almost an hour to get there. while we were sitting at the restaurant, one of the other teachers that had worked there for 10+ years mentioned he has never done this ever, where we skip a whole day of learning and go on a field trip. He was surprised and confused and said it was a first. he tried to talk to me a little during that field trip but i sort of just kept my distance, so he spent more time with the other chattier students while i silently tried to both enjoy, and make sense of why he even wanted to bring me here.

For now this is the most of what I can remember. I ended up having this almsot psychosis like experience one night and I became really sick to the point where I had to ask for his help to get a doctor to get anti biotics. But after that I just felt so much rage, feminine rage.

Writing this all out now, it feels like this rage is warranted. It’s just such a weird experience and I don’t know if I should be posting this on google reviews or what. Is this guy a predator? What the hell was going on? I ended up telling one of the women teachers and also one of the teaching assistants but they both thought that I was looking too much into it and that he was just being nice? The TA even tried to make it sound like there was a deeper spiritual meaning to all of it and that I had to work on. At one point I mentioned that I messaged him for help with medication/getting a doctor and she was surprised I had his phone number. He gave to to me the first day we got here, while a group of us were going to the beach. He only specifically gave it to me and took my number too. This TA had been his student for a few years and genuinely looked confused I had his number and that she didn’t even have it, which just confused me even more. It didn’t feel like I was ment to lean into this experience and find some sort of spiritual meaning in all this, and I told them that. I didn’t go into ALL the details with them because I was so nervous but I said the ones that would be the most alarming. I didn’t feel safe or comfortable in my body at all. When I tell people who aren’t in the yoga world, the red flags are obvious. Tbh, I hardly even practice yoga anymore. Even my mom asks why I never do and why I never went through with teaching and I just don’t know how to explain to her how weird it was for me? How certain postures still remind me of him and his adjustments? I feel like I was robbed of a good experience and for what? People asked me all the time how my training was and how it’s going and I just tell them if was good and fun. It feels like too much to explain it all without the conversation getting so heavy. What was the point of any of it and why are you running a whole yoga school if you’re so uninhibited?

If anyone has any opinion or advice or similar experiences I’d love to know. Am I overthinking all this? Am I underthinking it? Is this normal behavior? I genuinely don’t know.

Hi

Today is Pattabhi Jois' anniversary. This morning I saw a post from my main yoga teacher eulogizing his teaching without any reference to his tainted legacy.

When I was doing my first teacher training we briefly discussed this legacy but without any depth beyond the practice.

I'm wondering how do people treat the tainted legacy of yoga ( including all the culty aspects) and how to reconcile these with your own practice and teaching?

Namaste peeps!

1st one down! Finished my YTT cert last month and was asked to help sub this month. Was pretty nervous but it went okay - blanked a few times even after trying to memorize and referred to my notes way too much. Any advice for early stage teachers on what worked for you more experienced teachers with how you memorized sequences? My studio is mostly all spoken cues with very little physical demonstration. It’s a LOT to remember.

Trying to dig for my self compassion and Deep breaths!

Tell me about some of the yin sequences you’ve been teaching lately 🫶

I’d love to be inspired and share educational content with other teachers!

Last night I taught a class focused on spring transition work, grounding the nervous system while deeply opening the hips, inner legs, and chest space. The class centered around the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. Lots of props, long holds, and use of breath to encourage a deep rest, body regulation, and facia release.

What I focused on in preparing sequence: Wood element, helping us “un-stick”.
Inner Legs & Groin: Stretches the Liver meridian line.
Outer Hips, Thighs, & Glutes: Stretches the Gallbladder meridian.
Side Body & Ribs: Opens up the lateral lines where the Gallbladder meridian flows.

60min Spring Yin:
Savasana with 4-10 count box breathing breathing exercises
Fetal position Right
Supported child’s pose
Fetal position left
Caterpillar
Reclined butterfly with bolster, blocks, and sandbags
Dragonfly
Transition through tabletop
Dragon lunge to pigeon - both right then left
Savasana with meditation

I’d love feedback, and/or to hear about your sequences lately 🫶