What Sets a Yoga Teacher Apart?

"The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires."  ~William Arthur Ward

"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches."  ~Karl Menninger

I once heard that taking more than one teacher is like taking more than one wife. In a world where there's a yoga teacher on every corner, that's quite an interesting idea. After all, with a veritable buffet of yoga teachers available, how can we choose just one?

I suppose the answer is -- very carefully.

What I first looked for in a teacher is veeeery different than what I look for now. Back in the early days, I was shallow enough to be impressed by a teacher's form in asana. Interestingly enough, even though I may have admired these teachers' physical prowess, I didn't feel as though I could relate to them in all of their yogic perfection. Then one day I walked into a class with a teacher who needed bolsters to sit in Easy Pose and a lightbulb went on in my head -- I was touched more deeply by this teacher who showed herself to her students. Rather than try to be yoga perfection, she taught acceptance of one's body by merely being herself in class.

As I deepened my study of yoga, I acquired a few more teachers and my feelings about what a teacher should be continued to change. In the Bhagavad Gita, the student-teacher relationship is described as both informational (presentation of information) and transformational (openness is required). I'd seen plenty of informational teachers throughout the years, and I found myself yearning for a more transformational experience. 

Then I found a teacher whom I believed fit the bill. Her form in asana was impressive, yes, but I also saw something deeper in her. Yet as time went on, I began to feel off when we were together. It's hard to describe, but it was a feeling that she was robotic or trying too hard or too pushy in her teaching or perhaps not walking her talk. After months of this, I realized that while I respected her training and her commitment to her practice and her teachings that I just didn't respect her. She wasn't walking her talk, and so I moved on.

Sounds harsh, doesn't it? I questioned my decision and wondered if what I was seeking was perfection in a teacher. And then I met a beautifully imperfect teacher. She felt real to me, authentic. And rather than overengineer my experience, she gave me the latitude to find my own way. I felt gently guided rather than sternly taught. And that made all the difference.

During one of my yoga teacher trainings, I was taught about the responsibility of the teacher:

• We need to walk the walk ourselves
• We need to know the student – spend time and interact with student, have some understanding of the anatomy of the person (both subtle and physical)
• The relationship is yoga – not friendship, not business partner, not love relationship, must maintain hierarchy so that you keep authority, friendly but not friends

Yes, I keep these tenets in the back of my mind, but I also remind myself to not be too attached to what I teach. Ultimately, it's about my students finding their own path, not about me pushing them down the path that I've traveled. Yes, I can share my experience with them and I can offer them tools to use, but true transformation can't be forced upon someone. It's an experiential thing, not an in-your-head thing. Sure, I can give someone information and he/she can understand it, but the power of the information is when it's an internal experience.

I recently read an article about teachers not walking their talk, and it got me thinking about my role and responsibilities as a teacher. I only have my own experience to offer. Yes, I have knowledge from trainings and of course what I teach is informed by my trainings, my experiences, my beliefs, my opinions, etc. All I can be is authentic and of service. 

What do you look for in a teacher? And, if you're a yoga teacher yourself, what kind of teacher are you? Do you walk the talk, as they say?

I particularly like the Karl Menninger quote from above. This quote reminds me of why I don't push yoga on others. Rather, I model what I teach. I suppose that's why people approach me about yoga, not the other way around.

Namaste!

 

 

Comments

[Elise Fabricant]

Thanks for this inspirational post. I will send it on to my teachers (at www.halfmoondenver.com) and have no doubt it will provoke some useful discussion about how to better ourselves as teachers!

[J. Brown]

Another thoughtful post, greatly appreciated. Unlike other philosophical modalities, yoga is not an academic pursuit. The only real testament of a practice is the person it produces. The test of a teacher is to be an example of that which is espoused.

I do take an issue with the final tenant you put forth:

"The relationship is yoga – not friendship, not business partner, not love relationship, must maintain hierarchy so that you keep authority, friendly but not friends."

I strongly disagree with the notion that yoga teachers must maintain a hierarchy in order to be authoritative. One of my good friends and teachers always says that a yoga teacher is "nothing more than a friend and nothing less than a friend."

My teaching is based in friendship. My first students were my best friends and my best students always become the same. I can assert myself as the teacher and be authoritative without a hierarchy. Just as someone would seek the council and advice of a good friend who is informed in matters pertaining to them, so someone receives yoga teaching. In fact, I have found that without friendship, little yoga happens.

Also, I met my wife of 5 years now in my yoga class. The friendship that formed in the context of our yoga together also became the basis for our life partnership (we have a two year old daughter.)

Providing valuable instruction and guidance in yoga is impeded by anonymity. Yoga practice is not about poses but people doing poses. The actuality of who we are (both teachers and students) is utterly relevant.

Warmly,
J. Brown
yogijbrown.com

[John Calabria]

Great post Diane,

As a seasoned teacher, I do my best to walk my talk. and I encourage others to walk theirs, not mine.

I've found myself drifting further from lineage and more towards Swadyaya (self study) as to what is the next step on the path.

At times it feels uphill, a downhill coast, and absolute bushwhacking through the tangle of Avidya. (ignorance) But I do my best to stay true to intention and try to keep the intention true.

Daily I celebrate that there's no hurry, there's really no where to go, and there's great freedom in that. What matters is the next step is true.

yes, there is much misbehavior in our Yoga world, and there are also some bright lights. We've got to look behind/beyond the hype.

All my best,

John
http://www.yogawithjohn.com/blog

[Crystal Wagner]

Yes, the Karl Menninger quote caught my attention from the start! So true! Thank you for sharing your viewpoints from both sides, student and teacher. I have recently been considering becoming certified but have a physical disability. Your article has encouraged me and shown what's truly important in this field. Thank you