Teaching Hatha Yoga - Order in the Class
yoga teachers should establish control over their classes. A yoga class is not an open campus. If you expect everyone to follow along without structure, order, and guidelines, you will be disappointed. It will not take long for one bad apple to show up and distract your lesson plan.
Heres an example: You have no rules or official policy in your yoga classes because you believe adults know how to act. Wrong Why do you think we have traffic lights? We have speed limits too, but how many adults obey them?
However, lets give your theory a chance. Without any guidelines, a hatha yoga class will quickly disintegrate into an informal stretch class. You are no longer seen as the yoga teacher.
You just become the person who pays the rent, and overhead, for the yoga studio. After all, you are independently wealthy, and you do not need money for heat, air conditioning, signage, furniture, fixtures, other teacher salaries, rent, liability insurance, other utilities, taxes, and continuing education.
It will not take long before a significant number of your yoga students are late for their donation, late for class, and want to leave early before meditation starts.
Therefore, yoga is a discipline. Many yoga teachers fool themselves into thinking otherwise, because they are naturally self-disciplined in the first place. yoga teachers differ from the average student, because they have turned pro-active health into a lifestyle. Most people are not pro-active about their health at all.
about difficult students: Design rules for them, distribute them, and say good bye to those who cannot follow them.
Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com
He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-book: "Yoga in practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
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