October 17

Experience college Ed

I began consultation with the postgraduate committee. They all welcomed the idea. I began booking a room. The room available is huge, carpet less, sliding doors faing the garden, very nice view for summer time. I picked up some yellow and white flowers and our them in a plastic transparent glass.

7 people emailed confirming interest. One asked if this was hoy toga or relaxation t

Yoga

First session

I arrived early. Had time to set up de room. With the help of a nice boy. Then reviewed practices, listen to chanting Guru Sivananda, and practice ygn.

4 people, 2 men , 2 women

I managed the time well according to plan.

Used plan A asanas planned, skipped Ardha Titali asanas. I feel that people needed to stretch standing up.

It was good to ask them to visualize the asana before practice. I thnk instructions were more clear from me.

For ygn beginners,4 stages body awareness  ,sankalpa,  rotation , breath awareness,

Need to be consistent so they know how to do it on their own.

Inspiration

Each week the class is adapted according to each group and the needs of each day: more exercises here, more time for breathing or for yoga nidra there, and for some, time to talk. The daily life in prison is full of stress: a fight, an ethnic or interpersonal conflict, a murder or suicide within the prison walls. Added to that are many family matters, an appeal refused, a court hearing delayed or news from the war at home. I have found that a pre-planned class does not work and every week I have to learn to be more open, more aware and more sensitive to the needs of the group and to adapt the class accordingly.
YogaMag NOvember 1999 Sw. Yogatirthananda. Yoga for prisoners

October 16

Experience at Maireaheu, first session

I arrived late. The whole drive I was praying: Niranjan: if yoga is to reach these woman, please help me to reach the school on time! GPS and the map showed different routes and it took me more than double time to get to the school

However, I was very positive.

I could see that I was speaking fluently.

I greeted every one. Three teachers & the Principal were ready. They said thank u, but I knew that I was going to learn from them and also nurture myself

One teacher said that fir the whole week she had been looking forward yoga. The same teacher said, would u be able to come daily?

I began the class with relaxation in shavasana.

Don't now how but I was able to incorporate  positive thoughts and positive images as I was givin instructions to asanas

I also managed to relate twice with the experience of children who I though yoga in previous school term.

I connected what children enjoyed with the experience of teachers and also connected images that were useful for children.

I had difficulty explaining Janu naman. At home I checked again the instruction.

I wish it had been more attentive to observing the students. I was immersed in giving the instruction but not fully observing to see needs, difficulties and strengths

I focused more on students in the center and to the left.

I could have looked at them at the eye.

What they need

What they want

Inspiration :

The chance to teach yoga in a Social Services Day Care Centre for people recovering from mental illness and living in the community fell to me some four years ago. It became a journey of self-discovery, of letting go of earlier images I held of myself as a yoga teacher and of learning new ways to be with people.

Swami Satyaprakash Saraswati (UK)

01/2002

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october 15

Preparing first class for Mairehau Teachers

I found out a research article which explores the effects of yoga in teachers outcomes for yoga and mindfulness for school teachers

Key ideas:
1. teachers want to learn practices that can use later on with children
2. time is an issue. i might be prepared for attrition along the term. Simple techniques that they can incorporate in daily life.

I ask myself: would this article be of interest for them? yes, but yoga is all about experience & practice. It´s good to bring the article tomorrow, but the key part is practice.

Another article about  (Are there any similarities?)
teacher yoga in prison

Who are they?
Teacher student relationship?
What to teach? How should I first introduce yoga practices?

Key ideas for beginners class

1. assess where the class are at in terms of general fitness, flexibility, degrees of tension and mental disturbance

2. always start a session in shavasana, remaining there for slightly longer than usual. Some people may not want to lie with their palms upwards, if this is the case, then rest the hands on the sides, or even crossed over the chest until some trust has been established. Work with body awareness and then breath awareness.

3. begin the asanas with lying postures, such as supine stretching in conjunction with the breath, supta pawan-muktasana (leg lock), which is good for digestive disorders as well as for the spine, and supta udarakarshanasana (sideways back stretch). This way the students will get the feel of the practices before sitting up and being so aware of the other people around them.

4.Many students are initially unused to sitting, so need to bring blankets, pillows, or jumpers for additional support beneath the buttocks.

5. Breath awareness is often quite a radical first step in itself so go gently with this. 

6. Antar mouna:be able to understand what is really going on inside themselves, in a non-judgemental way.

octubre 9, 2014

Cuatro mujeres me han comentado que recibieron la invitacion. Tres de ellas indicaron interes en asistir mañana a la primera sesión.

Me he preguntado qué puedo hacer mañana con el objetivo de conocer sus necesidades y adecuar la clase lo mejor posible.

En el formato de inscripcion de la Academia, aparecen dos preguntas que me guían:

Please write down any current health issues and any medication you are on:

(e.g, depression, anxiety, back pain, joint pain (where?) digestive problems, breathing difficulties, recent surgery/injuries, head aches, high/low blood pressure, etc )

 Please write the qualities you hope to expand through your yoga classes:

October 7th, 2014

Today I begin this blog which will present my experience in teaching Satyananda Yoga in New Zealand.

Swami Niranjananda, my Guru, explained that yoga teachers must see themselves as sadhakas. Sadhakas are practitioners, students, people who are working on self awareness with the aim to improve their personality.
So this is how I will be writing this blog. From the perspective of a sadhaka, studying myself in the experience and studying to teach Satyananda yoga.

"Como profesores de yoga debemos practicar  vivir el yoga. Vivamos cada día con actitud yóguica y seamos el testigo, el observador, el drashta de nosotros mismos."

I will begin by reflecting on two key questions for a yoga teacher:

1. Who are the people who practice yoga?
2. Which is their situation in life?