Finding that teaching voice

I’ve been practicing yoga for the past 8 years or so (without counting the time spent as a kid performing asanas completely unaware that they were yoga poses!). Only until now it has become a “serious” thing to do. I’m formally studying to become a Yoga Teacher at Samadhi Studios Dublin.

It’s a strange journey. I’m starting to see the bigger picture behind yoga just now. The postures have a whole new meaning to me and my body awareness is increasing day by day. However, I’m in the process of finding my teaching voice. Yes, I know it’s there, I’m just beginning to hear it, and the experience has been completely astonishing. That voice is the same voice that has been guiding me for several years without speaking out loud. It’s overwhelming to hear it, so my personality and fears take over when I intend to use it. I know it’s only temporal, and I trust that voice will step out and guide me and my future students from now on. She lives within me and my main goal is set her free and let her do her job (My 2017 Goal).

I also know this voice is part of my connection with the Divine Consciousness known as God, but I’m sure this Force doesn’t care about titles and/or religions as long as you connect with its centre, which is Divine Love. (I won’t dig deeper on it, as that subject deserves a completely new post).

Teaching yoga goes beyond knowing how to do the poses yourself… It’s about being confident to demonstrate them, and using your teaching voice to guide others towards the “final” goal. You need to consider your student’s type of body, weaknesses and strengths, in order to tell them what to do next. I’m sure each student might become a unique master in your yoga teaching path.

Yoga asanas must be explored by the practitioner following the guidelines that are given to them by their teacher. Sometimes words are not enough to make a stiff body to move towards an “ideal” position. However, the thing that took me a while to understand, is that there are not “ideal” positions. There are only unique journeys to awake our Body/Mind Awareness, and the capacity to being present and conscious about our body, mind and emotions.

How do you teach that?

I know I am very flexible, but many people are not, and I need to show them that being flexible is not the whole point in yoga; this is only an aspect, you also need strength, balance and mindfulness (among other subtle things). You need to explore your body in ways you never imagine in order to teach others how to do so, and that’s what I’m doing at this time.

When you do a yoga class you start knowing yourself a little bit more, you get closer to your inner-self, from your abdominal core to your mind and emotions (not to mention the understanding of your chakras system and glands co-relation).

Some people do yoga as a body exercise or a relaxation technique (and that’s ok), but the benefits go beyond that initial approach. When we do yoga, our minds also train to achieve stillness and self-control. Sooner or later we understand that our inner-self is there, just waiting until we silence our mind and let it be in control of our existence and Self-Realisation.

I think you don’t necessarily have to do poses/asanas in order to achieve Self-Realisation, but it’s a much more fun way to explore your True Self. That’s why the practice I do and I wish to teach is one that is ON and OFF the mat.