be aware of your presence

I went to a yoga class over the past weekend. It was a good class, however, the teacher made me feel a bit awkward.

The class was packed, and I know the struggle of attempting to manoeuvre around a busy class.

At one point, she squatted down and just to the left of me and from the corner of my eye, it truly looked like she was staring at right at the butt of the woman in front of me. I was so distracted by it and it made me feel super awkward for that woman.

Here are some tips for moving around during a very busy class:

1. SPEND MORE TIME ON YOUR MAT

I always encourage new teachers to try to step off their mats more often and to wander the room. However, in a really busy class, it may be beneficial to spend more time on your mat as to not disrupt already tight quarters.

You may choose to demo more poses on your mat for the students or work on holding space for your students by taking a meditative pose while you instruct the class.

2. BE MINDFUL OF THE SPACE YOU TAKE-UP

If you are going to wander the busy room, I suggest being mindful of when you walk and when you stay still. It’s important during balance postures that you don’t cause a visual distraction to your students.

3. DON’T STAND NEAR ONE PERSON FOR TOO LONG

Make sure that you are wandering the room evenly, that is, that you’re not spending too much time near one person. 

I like to choose a spot on one side of each room that I can wander back and forth to while I wind my way through the rows of students. This way I can give verbal cues to the class and see if they are landing with the students.

As yoga teachers, we want to create a space that is welcoming, inviting and supportive.  The easiest way to do this is to be mindful of the space we are creating with our presence and our actions.

light & love

<3 ash