March yoga class quiz...

I had a chance to take some yoga classes from various teachers around the city in March 2007.


1) Let's say a student (Sally) was able to sit cross-legged, and completely fold forward onto the floor. Let's say that most of the other students could not go that far into the pose. If you were the teacher, which of the following would you NOT want to say:


a. "Folks that are more flexible like Sally are feeling this pose in their own way, while the rest of us are getting the same benefit to this stretch even if we cannot fold forward as far.....".

b. "Look at Sally, a very flexible student, over there not feeling a thing (she does this all the time because she teaches yoga)."

c. "Yoga is a journey, not a destination. Only go as far as you can today, tomorrow may be different. Search for the sensation of creating length in this stretch and keep breathing! If you don't fold forward very far, it's okay."



2) Let's say another teacher is demonstrating a seated forward bend with legs extended. Which of the following verbal cues would be better?:

a) Fold forward, reach out, grab your toes and pull your chest through your upper arms.

b) Reach out for your toes. If you can't reach your toes, use a strap.

c) As we gently fold forward, hinging from our hips, we can reach out to take hold of our toes. Lengthen the spine, without forcing or pulling ourselves forward. Think about lifting our hearts as we extend through the crown of our heads.


3) Let's say that you are in a class working on a challenging pose. What would you like to hear the teacher say?

a) "This is a hard pose. Don't worry if you can't do it. Try it anyway".

b) "Find the place where you feel challenged yet successful in this pose. There is a part of it that you can do if you focus and concentrate on your breath.

c) "Level 3, raise one leg and then one arm."


All three situations actually happened this month - in classes with teachers of various levels of experience. As the student, I was reminded to follow my instincts, listen to my body, and remember my training.

Namaste, Cindy

(b) (c) (b)