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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Teaching Reflections |
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Competition
and Connection in the Yoga Community
When I started teaching yoga, I was lucky in a way: there didn't seem to
be too many of us yoga teachers around. I started teaching because my own
teacher was moving, and she asked me to take over her classes. When I
offered to teach, people said yes. It didn't matter that I was a raw
beginner with no teaching experience - there wasn't much competition among
yoga teachers, and that first year, most of my students had never taken a
yoga class before. These days, that's far less likely to happen. Yoga
teacher training programs produce a steady stream of high-quality new
teachers, and experienced students seek truly outstanding teachers. But
there I was, garbling my Sanskrit, overenthusiastically adjusting poses,
and receiving the kind of warm welcome that allowed me to gain the
experience I needed.
There was, of course, a downside to this great opportunity: without
competition, there was also no yoga teaching community that I could turn
to for support, companionship, and advice. I struggled with basic
questions about teaching, my relationships with students, and the business
of teaching yoga. I longed for a group of fellow teachers to laugh and cry
with, and to share stories with: the time a student asked if it really
mattered if she breathed or not; the time a student's pants fell off in
the middle of class; the first time one of my students cried in class; the
times I doubted my abilities as a yoga teacher.
Now, I have a lot more of each in my yoga world. I face the professional
competition that comes from living in a city that seems to have more yoga
teachers than yoga students. I also have the support of an amazing group
of local yoga teachers. This paradox is not unique to my experience - it
reflects the basic truth that where there is the potential for
competition, there is also the possibility of connection. Which one we
focus on will determine which one we experience most strongly.
A sense of competition with your fellow yoga teachers can crush
opportunities for connection, because it makes you view fellow teachers as
adversaries, rather than as resources. Feeling threatened by excellent
instructors (who might, after all, take away your students) can lead you
to be overly critical of other instructors. Have you ever attended a
teacher's class and spent most of your time picking apart the teachers'
flaws, in a misguided attempt to reinforce you own confidence? The reality
is, a critical attitude prevents you from learning from other instructors.
It also cuts you off from outside support when you need it, because you
will miss opportunities to befriend fellow teachers. Invariably, a
critical attitude towards others will also turn against you: it is the
rare individual who can tear down others without applying the same
destructive criticisms to him or herself.
So how do you maintain an attitude of openness to other teachers, even
when your teaching income is barely adequate to support your high turnover
of sticky mats? See yourself as part of a network of like-minded
people, rather than an individual struggling alone or against others. Be
grateful that there are so many people who share your passion for yoga and
for helping others.
If you are new to teaching, seek out the advice and mentorship of more
experienced teachers. Many will be happy to discuss teaching with you,
introduce you to other teachers and studio owners, and let you sub their
classes if you regularly attend them. Introduce yourself to studio owners,
even if you don't yet have the credentials or training to teach at the
studio. Studio owners may allow you to attend classes for free, if
you let them know that your are available to sub for their regular
teachers at a moment's notice. (In fact, that's how I ended up getting
some of my teaching jobs - I was there and the teacher didn't show
up; the studio owner knew me and asked me to fill in.) If you are a
seasoned teacher, take new instructors under your wing. Consider
co-teaching workshops with other instructors, whose knowledge and
experience may complement your own.
Whatever your experience, look for or start your own yoga teachers' group.
In San Francisco, where I live, there are several groups for yoga teachers
who want to support each other in teaching and practice. We trade yoga
books and CDs, arrange for group discounts to yoga conferences, attend
each others' workshops and classes, have potluck dinners, discuss the
benefits of various massage therapies, and recommend each other for
teaching positions. I also enjoy mentoring new yoga teachers; they become
some of my favorite students in the classroom and a source of support and
new perspectives outside the classroom.
If you find yourself a lone yogi in a small town, fear not: many
supportive communities can be found online. One such community is the Moving
Into Stillness discussion board, where yoga teachers and
students from around the world meet to discuss yoga.
Finding connection with other teachers is part of your yoga practice; it
challenges limiting beliefs that you hold about scarcity, security, and
independence. The truth is, there will always be students, just as there
will always be opportunities for you to learn and to serve your community.
The more you embrace your fellow teachers, the more opportunities you will
find. Embracing the community also opens up that most necessary part of
any spiritual practice: taking refuge in the sangha, or finding comfort
and inspiration from the presence of others who have chosen to take the
same journey as you. Be grateful that you have the company. Return to Teaching Reflections
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