Firing Your Yoga Teacher - Your Responses

[Administrator]

I've been getting lots of responses here, almost immediately. I'm
going to post them, without names here.

Thanks for your response. My knee and ankle still hurt.

Namaste.

Harlan

[Administrator]

I am really shocked that someone would push your knee down during Padmasana. I would describe the Iyengar teacher I did teacher training for two years with as firm and challenging, but I distinctly remember her saying NEVER to push students' bodies in Padmasana or in forward bends as it can put two areas that are particularly delicate - the knees and the lower back - at risk. Many things I've read by reputable teachers have reinforced this.
Personally, I like to believe it's possible for students to explore their boundaries and embark on new territory through inspiration, encouragement, trust, compassion, and the unwavering belief that freedom is possible. That's certainly what I respond to when I go to a class as a student.
Hope your knee is ok, I'm sure Sara will help

[Administrator]

Good for you, Harlan!

I can hardly believe there is any yoga school out there that would teach their student-teachers to ignore students' pain. Sounds like she's coming from the 'no pain, no gain' personal training school of fitness and hasn't adjusted her attitude to the yoga philosophy. And seriously, pushing down on people's knees in half-lotus?!? Ouch! I don't even teach that pose in group classes, because I know 90% of my students have hips and knees that are too tight to do that safely (my own included, some days!), and I don't trust all of them to not just yank their foot into place, tearing something in their knee in the process.

I am just putting the finishing touches on my own first newsletter to my students. The title is 'No Pain, All Gain', and it talks about the need to stop pushing to avoid hurting ourselves and to get the most out of our practice.

[Administrator]

Harlan,
you took the polite,gracious, and eloquent way to handle that,and I applaud you!
I became a yoga teacher because my favorite teacher moved and at that time most of the teachers I had were so unattentive to my needs(Yoga Sargents or worse...)As a teacher who loves to do privates,but is continuing with studio work I try very hard to pick up on cues(verbal and facial grimaces)from my students of all different ages and capabilities.Adjustments feel good if the body is not taxed at that particular moment.I'm a student of Ashtanga and a teacher of Hatha.My Ashtanga teacher is great about that,he's always said to"listen to your body".We often discuss that some teachers should meditate twice a day and educate themselves with books by Stephanie Pappas , David Coulter,Farhi,Kraftsow,Stiles,Sri Pattabi Jois, Thich Nhat Hanh(The Miracle of Mindfulness),backed up by Yoga Journal's teacher's"My Mentor",& other great DVDs, before burn out occurs.
In the spirit of Indra Devi(my ultimate yogic mentor ),
blessings,light and love...and healing?

[Administrator]

dear harlan and sara, harih om,

first of all i was wondering how sara manages with her clients when she is off to, this time la to the workshop with shiva rea, while she was on a visit to her family a couple of weeks earlier....how do you do this with keeping the continuity with your clients? which is a subject on it's own.........i think

for the adjustments: i perceive, as an yoga teacher in europe (amsterdam) that there is a difference in the approach towards yoga in the us and europe.......the iyengar and asthanga yoga is not so widely spred in europe as they are in the us........in my expierence the approach in teaching yoga here is in general quite soft, very much on respecting your body, mind and limits and limitations....... at least that is how i work and that is how i got my teaching and training.......off course one workes on softly pushing the physical and mental limits, but we know that every body is different and that time is also an element in yoga......it took me about ten years before i could sit in half lotus pose......and still full lotus i can only sit in for two minutes........and it doesn't matter to me and neither to my clients.........i am a very happy and fexible yoga teacher, who probably does not all her poses perfectly on a physical level, but who is able to make her clients more relaxed, a little bit more aware, nicely strechted and i am getting them into yoga : union of the body, mind and soul...........without injuries, pain in the muscles and knee problems..................so for me working on soft adjustments is the only way to work with people.......

[Administrator]

Hi Harlan
Congratulations on following your instinct.
[font=Arial][size=2][color=navy][color=navy][font=Arial]It is unfortunate that many yoga teachers do not have a complete understanding of anatomy and physiology, and as with a lot of body workers they seem to think that it is their work that is doing the

[Administrator]

I really enjoyed the piece about "the firing" of the yoga teacher - I am a psychotherapist and in my first appointment with each of my clients, I give them guidelines for therapy, including how to fire me! I tell my clients that I believe a relationship between them and their therapist has to be like buying shoes - must be a good fit. If I am pushing them to do things, talk about things, or be in a place where they're just not comfortable, then probably the "shoe doesn't fit." And on the other side, I want them to "fit" by attending all of their scheduled sessions on time and working on goals they have chosen. It sounds like to me Halan's yoga teacher was like an ill-fitting pair of shoes - a bad fit for him but maybe ok for someone else.

Good move!

[Administrator]

Harlan - thank you for sharing your story. I am always so sad to hear of students being injured or pushed too far by "well meaning" teachers. It is my belief that yoga shouldn't hurt, that our modern life is hard and pushy enough and our yoga time should be a great big COUNTERPOSE to all the stress of daily living. I applaud you for being honest and upfront about your feelings with your (former) teacher.
Om Shanti

[Administrator]

Harlan, As a yoga teacher, I encourage everyone to find a teacher who treats you with respect and expects you to respect your body and its limits. I am fortunate to have experienced teacher-trainings with a mentor who teaches all of us teachers to learn to use words effectively in our yoga teaching. We are inspired to use our words as a way of teaching yoga to our students. We are encouraged to manually adjust only when we have a clear intention about how and why to touch. Adjusting your students through touch can be a valuable tool, but it must be used sparingly and with clear intention in order for it to be effective. An "incorrect" adjustment can at the very least create a dependency or craving in the student and at its worst can harm a student by injuring him/her. We must be extremely careful to maintain respect for our students and to practice restraint so each student can find his/her experience of yoga.
Sincerely,

[Administrator]

Dear Harlan,

Good for you!
There are yoga teachers and then there are people who think they are yoga teachers. No one can teach without humility as this is like trying to block the flow of a river. Compasion for the client and softness is important.
Steadfastness comes from strength and self confidence which grows with nurturing not forcing.

Metta