Comments on: On Teaching Yoga

By: How to not confuse a tablespoon with the whole enchilada « Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:22:25 +0000

[...] Okay… well an oft-quoted yoga blogger I know wrote something about it: Assuming that you know me from reading my blog is a bit like assuming you know Jaimal [...]

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:46:41 +0000

Ha! I totally agree with Babs here (and you of course Nadine). For any of my yoga students to say they know me is like saying you know me from reading my Suburban Yogini blog. Yes teacher Rachel and blogger Rachel are true authentic parts of who I am but they are not the whole by a long stretch.

I’m with Babs. I’m not sure a tattooed ex-punk who swears like a sailor would fit into the perceptions some people have of a yoga teacher. Whilst I believe that perceptions are generally false and I am not a fan of categorising people or things, I think that to go along with these perceptions can sometimes make life easier, for me and them.

While I love the yoga communities I have helped to create, I also love the part of me that lives my own yoga. And I’m very private about that. That’s Rachel as seen by her nearest and dearest. I like it that way. And I think that in itself has explained why I am much happier teaching only part time. Yoga is my life but teaching, much as I love it, isn’t.

By: Brooks Hall

Brooks Hall — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:41:32 +0000

Hi Nadine, Thanks for this post. It resonated with me so much, for I too work with these questions in my life as a busy Yoga teacher! The links are great also. And the tips ring true.

By: babs

babs — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:22:08 +0000

Thanks for the great post, Nadine! I always wonder what the line is between student and teacher. I’ve only socialized once with students. I had a group of Americorps Vista girls and when their work was done after a year, they invited me for a beer to say thanks for the yoga classes. I thought it was super fun, but I also felt a bit awkward. Cause, here’s the deal…when I’m teaching I get to be happy, nice, positive energy babs. I talk about heart centers and surrendering. Outside of class, I am cynical, smart ass babs. I have a total gutter mouth that is only at rest when I’m teaching. And, I have a tendency to really want to yuck it up. I like to make people laugh. So, basically, I don’t want to socialize with students because I don’t want them to know what a total red neck I really am And I don’t want to offend them. I’ve often thought that because I live in such a small town that I would run into more of my students out and about. I haven’t. Which only reconfirms my belief that I’m completely outside of their circle and would only wreak havoc on their perception of their sweet little yoga teacher!! With that said, just because I don’t reveal my hillbillyness in class by saying, “inhale and stretch all the fucking way up” that I’m not being my authentic self or being me as a teacher. I just like to think of it as the non offensive better version of me!

By: Svasti

Svasti — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:33:32 +0000

Thanks for this article and all the great links. Excellent timing for me, as I ponder the beginning of my journey as a yoga teacher!