yoga teachers, watch your language!

The language yoga teachers use in yoga has profound impact on students.

Here's a few (seemingly innocent) words and phrases...

"welcome, this is a peak pose practice,"

"let's modify your pose,"

"this is a level 2 practice, not for beginners",

"play with pose variations," and my most hated....

"let me demonstrate this pose"....

All commonly used by yoga teachers.

All dangerous.

All are insulting.

All show why yoga teachers injure students.

And why many in yoga feel shit.

Why?

Because they subtly suggest a 'standard' way to approach a pose, implying a progression from a basic pose to its variations and modifications, implying right and wrong ways of doing poses.

This standardization can often (at best) alienate or discourage practitioners who feel they can't do what a teacher asks.

At worst, they injure people.

It did me... and hundreds of people I train to get these words OUT of their yoga.

To illustrate my point, let's momentarily step out of the yoga studio and onto the basketball court.

Consider the iconic basketball move, the slam dunk. It's a thrilling display of skill, power, and athleticism: a player sprints towards the hoop, leaps into the air, and forcefully dunks the ball through the basket. It's a move that spectators love and players aspire to execute.

Yet, not everyone can slam dunk, and here's where the comparison gets interesting.

Imagine teaching two individuals with vastly different physical attributes training how to slam dunk. One looks like a hobbit from J.R.R. Tolkien's universe—short, sturdy, with a low center of gravity.

The other is a towering figure akin to Gandalf—tall, slender, with long limbs.

The difference in their physical capabilities is stark.

For Gandalf, with his height and long arms, learning to slam dunk might simply be a matter of mastering the technique and building the necessary muscle strength. His natural physique provides him with a MASSIVE advantage IN achieving the airborne time required for a slam dunk.

With practice, the art of slam dunking could very well be within his reach (without using magic).

On the contrary, our hobbit friend faces a daunting challenge.

No matter how much they train, the fundamental laws of physics and their short stature significantly limit fundamental ability to jump high enough to perform a slam dunk.

It's not a question of effort or desire but rather anatomical and physical realities.

Now, let's bring this analogy back to yoga.

Just as it's unreasonable to expect every individual to perform a slam dunk due to inherent physical differences, it's equally unrealistic to assume that every yogi can or should conform to a 'standard' yoga pose.

Because they are different bodies!

In fact, the idea of a standard is stupid.

The notion that one must aspire to achieve a predefined aesthetic in a yoga pose ignores the natural, fantastic and beautiful diversity of human bodies and their capabilities.

BUT this is not how we talk in yoga... It is as if we are talking to a group of people who are all over 6 foot tall and all capable of exactly the same movement.

Like we are teaching lego figures out of a factory.

That is why so many people don't like yoga... because we are bad teachers.

 We teachers study anatomy, but that's not enough.

Teachers are trained in a paradigm of "standard" poses and "modifications" in yoga.

It's not the dark ages. Have we not heard of ergonimics!?

We teachers need to be skilled in a more inclusive and personalized approach to practice. 

Each person's version of a pose is their 'standard,' tailored to their body's unique strengths and limitations.

There is no standard.

If you want more students, you need to train yourself to be an expert in natural biological variation.... down to the bones.

We need teachers who are not just barking cookie cutter language they learned on their 1-month intensive yoga teacher training... We need more welcoming and supportive yoga teachers who serve their community where every practitioner's journey is valued and celebrated, free from comparison or judgment.

Or loaded language.

We need a shift in perspective that not only democratizes yoga practice but also underscores the importance of focusing on the functional benefits of yoga, rather than merely its aesthetic - how a yoga pose looks.

By doing so, we open the door to a more compassionate, inclusive, and holistic approach to yoga, where every individual can find their path to physical and mental well-being.

This means yoga teachers have to spend more time learning not just anatomy, but variable anatomy - what makes us different. 

Understanding and embracing our unique anatomical differences isn't just a lesson for the yoga mat; it's a profound insight that enriches our entire life.

But more, this acknowledgement forces us into a practice of compassion and mindfulness rather than a peacock show, where we learn to recognize and celebrate what different bodies can (and can't) do, instead of pushing hobbits into slamdunks (while at the same time telling them listen to their body).

Being a skilled postural yoga teacher is a call to master and assist in individual journeys, recognizing that our strengths and limitations are insanely different facets of our humanity.

A more educated approach doesn't just make us better yoga teachers; it makes us more empathetic and understanding individuals in every aspect of our lives.

By applying these insights from our practice into our daily interactions, we contribute to a more accepting and inclusive society, where every person's unique path is acknowledged and valued.

And we don't injure people then tell them it wasn't our fault.

I want you to know more yoga teacher.

- Dhugal.

 

  Tune in now to listen to the full podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hCT1kNAYJc

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