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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Teaching Reflections |
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The
Wizard of Oz I
was recently reading To Teach: The
Journey of a Teacher, a book about elementary school teaching by
William Ayers (Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 2001). There
are many differences between teaching school children to read and teaching
adults yoga. However, the author proposed a theory of teaching that
strongly resonated with my experience teaching yoga. Ayers suggested that
great teachers are those who have learned all four of the lessons of The
Wizard of Oz. In my experience, we don’t actually need to learn these
lessons outside of teaching; teaching yoga actually develops the qualities
that Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion were seeking. “If
I only had a home…” Teaching
yoga has helped me find the sense of community that I longed for before I
began teaching. Teaching dispels the illusion that we are each separate
and isolated from each other. By placing ourselves in service to others,
we strengthen the bonds of interdependence that may previously have been
invisible. Like Dorothy, I’ve learned that “home” is actually within
me. Wherever I teach feels like home, because the feeling of home is
really the connection I feel to others when I teach. Teaching is far more
interdependent that it appears from the outside. Although the teacher may
seem in charge, anyone who has taught for some time realizes that the
students teach the teacher as much or more than the teacher teaches the
students. As you give, you receive. “If
I only had a brain…” Great
yoga teachers demonstrate insight into the practice. Cutting comments that
pierce through your defenses; powerful sequences that transform your
physical and mental state; unusually effective instructions; hands-on
adjustments that work just right. I’ve come to believe that this kind of
insight – the “brain” of teaching yoga – is itself developed by
the act of teaching. Teaching requires us to articulate and transmit our
own practice and experiences. It requires us to pay attention to our
students, and observe the effects of our words, instructions, touch, and
presence. This cycle of experiencing, trying to communicate our
experiences, and observing the effects, is the essence of teaching. It
also works as a prism, to distill and reflect the essence of what we have
learned. “If
I only had a heart…” Teaching
yoga has developed my compassion. I think I owe a great deal to the simple
act of physically touching so many students, without preference or
reluctance. To be able to approach any body, and offer physical support
and assistance, is a great gift. In my own life, I think teaching yoga has
softened my resistance to people who might initially frighten or offend
me. When we teach yoga, we simply cannot shut ourselves off from our
students. And, of course, we typically don’t get to choose who walks
into our class. That
makes teaching the perfect opportunity to cultivate compassion. “If
I only had the nerve…” Teaching
is by its very nature an act of courage. It requires the courage to stand
in front of others and offer what you believe is true and helpful. Many
beginning teachers struggle with the idea that they have something to
offer others. They feel inexperienced compared to their own teachers, and
they may wonder if they can communicate the teachings as powerfully as
they feel them. But it is only by beginning that teachers find their way.
Every risk, including the decision to begin teaching, is an expression of
courage. Teaching only continues to cultivate courage, by asking us to
show up to every class and teach what we honestly practice and live. Return to Teaching Reflections
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