Preparing to teach a class to students

[Guest guest]

Sat Naam jis,

 

I always feel more refreshed and ready to teach a class just after reciting

the Teacher's Oath given to us by Yogi Bhajan. As a teacher of Kundalini

Yoga, you should be doing it before every one of your classes.

 

Sitting in meditative posture (sukhasana, easy pose). Left arm is bent, left

hand is held up, palm facing forward, like you are swearing in -- or giving

a blessing.

 

Recite aloud with this dynamic mudra:

 

"I am not a woman." - pinky (Mercury) finger folds into palm

"I am not a man." - ring (Sun) finger folds in

"I am not a person." - middle (Saturn)

"I am not myself." - index (Jupiter)

"I am a teacher!" - hold fisted hand confidently with a big thumbs up!

 

And the thumb represents ego, which is now replaced by the consciousness of

a Teacher!

 

This prayer allows you to put your self and your ego (and all your personal

problems!) completely aside while you teach your class, so that you can be

a pure channel for the teachings without feeling drained, distracted,

misdirected, etc...

 

I am sure you will get replies that suggest specific kriyas for more energy

like you requested. Maybe that will be enough for you. But I say, start

experimenting with lots of different ways to prepare yourself, as well as

your space, to find what gives you the energy or the presence you need to

manage your class and students as a Teacher. You are not there just to tell

them how to move their arms back and forth. You are also teaching them about

yogic behavior and yoga class etiquette: through your appearance,

countenance, attitude, and how you set up the class and present yourself as

a teacher. Also you need to find practices that give you the energy to be

accessible and approachable while maintaining your teacher/student

boundaries.

 

You mention that you do meditate every day, which is great. But it sounds

like that is your personal practice. You might also need another type of

practice which is more resourceful to you as a Teacher, a professional

practice if you will.

 

I go to my studio long before class starts to do my own professional

practice -- yes, I am lucky to have the luxury of an empty studio for a

couple hours before I teach! Home practice is good too.

 

Before starting KY, I do a spiritual practice which is a constantly evolving

medley of little sacred rituals I have picked up from many traditions. Not

just yogic & Eastern sources, but things I like from the Christian

religions, metaphysical healing modalities, and self help programs, too.

 

For example I now start off by bowing as soon as I pass through the door of

the studio. This is something I saw a couple of my students doing, and I

tried it and liked it very much. I take my time, feel my breath, and I

consciously stay very relaxed, unhurried, while setting up my asana, CDs,

timers, etc... so I don't feel like I'm rushing to work, right! I love

taking the time to set my Self up in front of the beautiful altar in my

studio, and arrange or meditate on its treasures. I always set up a picture

of Yogi Bhajan, light candles around him, and pay reverance to my teacher.

Lately I have been taking a crow feather on our altar and rapidly fanning

the my entire body with it before taking my seat. This is a Native American

technique that dusts off any stagnant or parasitic energies hanging on you,

and so it cleanses and refreshes the aura. But sometimes I just want to sit

and say a simple prayer or affirmation, or take this time to say the

Teacher's Oath. Maybe some of these ideas inspire you, maybe you can't

relate at all. Just find your own personal process through practice!

 

Okay, now I am ready to do my Kundalini yoga. When I tune in with the Adi

Mantra, I do it with the specific intention of calling upon the Golden Chain

to help me as a Teacher -- to keep these yoga teachings pure and to guide

the students through me. It is also nice to visualize filling the entire

studio with the vibration of the mantra, as if I am tuning in the practice

space its self. Then I strive to do the kriya that I will be teaching the

class that day.. usually it works out, but if I'm short on time, then I at

least do the basic warmups or a brief energizing set. Breath of Fire always

gives me an energy boost which I like to have before teaching, so I take

some time to work on increasing my time doing the Ego Buster, a personal

sadhana of mine.

 

When the students start to arrive, I try to access the energies of

individuals both as they filter in alone and then as they interact as a

group, so I can set the tone for class accordingly. It sounds like you are

being affected by your students energies or too many students, so maybe this

will work for you too in that case:

 

When my students are getting extra chatty at the desk or locker area, or

just hustling & bustling around the store and studio (I have a very

enthousiastic group! Wahe Guru!) what I do is I start playing mantra music,

loud enough to get their attention and to discourage conversation, while I

sit still in meditation in front of the altar. As the students enter the

studio, I may acknowledge them with a smile, namaste mudra, or a bow; but

then I go right back to concentrating on meditating. MAGICALLY the students

become and remain silent, they go set up their asana/space in a quiet and

respectful manner, and then follow my example by sitting like perfect yogis.

This perfectly illustrates teaching through example instead of oral

nstructions.

 

If I have planned a meditation w/ mantra, I play that music, and even chant

along with it to help the students hear it and learn it. The students who

sit in the first row usually always start chanting along with me, and they

enjoy the opportunity to learn the mantras a little better during this extra

time before class starts. So by the time I officially start class, everyone

has positioned themselves properly in the room and has settled into their

meditative seats to the sounds of beautiful music, and they are ready to be

taught. I turn off the music, and MAGICALLY I have a silent but fully

vibrational class space for yoga! And it's even full of attentive, calm,

centered, open recipients for the teachings I have to offer them! Wahe

Guru!

 

This has been so effective (seriously: MAGIC! I mean it!) for me, I would

really like you to try it out and let me know how/if it works for you too.

My classes have been getting bigger and the students are now becoming

friends with each other. So if I do not create a solid yogic space, they

will create their own socializing space! When this first happened, I felt

like I was a substitute teacher dealing with third grade children during

last period on Friday!! ha ha! See, I wasn't in control of my classroom, and

my students had become obstacles for me. That definitely drained my energy,

distracted me, interfered with class time, and interfered with the group

experience. And my effectiveness as a teacher! Setting a meditative

environment, and holding your own meditative space as a teacher, literally

puts them in their place and keeps you safe by separating your energy from

theirs.

 

 

There are other times the energy of the students may be mellow, sleepy, or

more serious as they come in the door, too -- whatever it is, I do what

feels right for setting the space for who is in the room. I trust my inner

guidance because I have tuned in and asked for help. If it is a small

class, or if there are beginners there, I tend to be more friendly,

approachable, and even encourage discussion. I move through the room,

introducing myself to the new people and helping them set up their mats,

giving them some basic info or answering a question or two, or just joking

around. I may even include the regular students, asking them to answer a

beginner's question or share a personal yoga story. Getting to know your

students like this will ultimately help you manage them better too. By

remaining standing up, in a central place in the room, or in the immediate

space where interaction is happening, I find I can better hold and manage

these conversations so they stay on topic and don't become too social. It

may sound obvious, but I had to discover that standing up is an essential

posture when placing myself in the midst of the students. I was squatting

down to the floor and talking privately to one person at a time on their

mat, then became aware that it makes me inaccessible and possibly even

invisible to others. (Is there a teacher for this class?) Even after

taking my place at the altar to start class, sometimes I still keep the

floor open to questions if I feel that we've created a cozy setting for

discussion. If they are comfortable, they speak up more, so they learn new

stuff, and (i think!) the new students get a better sense of what they are

getting themselves into! Then we are ready to yoga!

 

I apologize for such a long email, I usually keep it much much shorter than

this. I hope that someone finds it useful then! Thank you for letting me

share about my teaching experiences.

 

Sat Naam

ranjit k.

 

 

 

>siri atma singh <siri_atma

>Kundaliniyoga

>Kundaliniyoga

>Re: Kundalini Yoga Thank you

>Fri, 7 May 2004 23:01:51 +0100 (BST)

>

>sat nam

>chant 3 minutes the adi mantra before the lesson.

>

>luis borbolla furuno <borbollafuruno wrote:

>Thank you for the suscription to kundaliniyoga.

>

>I have a question :

>

>Iam teacher, and everyday I practice meditation, sometimes my energy low

>down when there are many students at the classroom ¿how to keep my reserves

>of energy?

>

>thank you.

>

>

>Furuno

>

>

 

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[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Ranjit Kaur,

Thank you for your e-mail. You offered creative, useful solutions that

will make me a better teacher. And no apologies for lengthy e-mails on teaching.

It is such an important subject and one that is very dear to our teacher, Yogi

Bhajan's heart. Keep up and keep sharing.

Love & Learning, Dev Dharam Kaur