For Yoga Teachers
Preparing for Your Final Teaching Review
Below are notes based on my most recent observation of you teaching (at the retreat) and suggestions for what to focus on for your final teaching review. 
Below those notes are the specific instructions and postures you’ll be teaching on December 5th!
Please read the notes to everyone, as there may be helpful information for you that was written to someone else.
Love to all of you!
xo
-C
Brad: You are great with modulation and volume. You also CLEARLY understand the alignment and key actions of the postures as evidenced by your practice. The primary thing I recommend you work on is communicating those directions and instructions for key actions. 1. Cue the breath 2. Direct the movement and/or placement of the body 3. Start from the ground up and give the cues for key actions. In observing your teaching the last day of training, your directions consisted mostly of calling out the posture names. When we do the formal review, you’ll need to give more detail and instruction as described above. I know you can do that because I KNOW you do it as a student.
Christina S: (As mentioned in person) Your non “yoga voice”, volume, posture and modulation are all great. I recommend you work to eliminate “ing” as a graffiti word, organize the order you give the key actions and connect breath with movement. (Give the cues to breathe and make sure they fit!)
Kehlee: (As mentioned in person) OBVIOUSLY your modulation and passion are great! (In the eyes and the expressiveness you radiate!!!) Also, although I know you heard from your group that your instructions could have been more clear in some ways, I felt that you did a great job guiding the body into the pose. Ex: Reach your arm forward, in front of your shin and then around your back and clasp hands behind you. With the visual, it felt clear to me. I recommend you KEEP working on the yoga voice, not holding the pose yourself once you have demonstrated it, offering modifications based on what you see AS YOU LOOK AROUND and more clarity regarding alignment and key actions. Think about teaching the students details rather than always leading them through a flow. Your yoga voice may drop if you can shift to that perspective. ??
Katie: Great with modulation and volume. In general, you seem very natural and comfortable, even when you say you’re nervous. A little yoga voice creeps in which I would love to see (hear!) go. Focus on sharing everything you know about the alignment and key actions for a pose in an organized way.
Laura: Your smile, authenticity and volume are all great! Keep coming to inner yogi and feel the postures in your body. Feel the key actions from the ground up so you can begin to organize how to share them. For the review, I’d like to see you more clear on which breath goes with which movement and the organization of key actions. It might be helpful to record yourself reading the instructions and key actions from postures in the manual and then practice to your own recording.
Erin: You have a very mindful and intentional practice. I know you know the alignment and the key actions because I can see you apply them as you practice. I also know that you can speak to the group with confidence and authenticity, because I have seen that too. Focus on being yourself and trusting that you know what to say. As of my last observation at the retreat, I definitely heard “Yoga Voice”. I recently read an article on writing authentic “copy” for your business that connects to the reader. The writer said- “You should always write as if you are speaking to one person, not a whole group of people.” I think this could work for teaching as well. Speak as if you are speaking to one person- not a whole group. If we speak to a whole group we don’t connect to anyone and that can be heard in our voice. I noticed that each of you as you read your letter on the last day of the retreat found a beautiful voice to speak from that was directed to one person, while being clearly heard by the whole group- this is the voice that I’d like to hear when you teach. Speak from your heart and be real.
The Teaching
- To “Lead” you may assume the student has a general idea of what to do.
- To “Teach” means to provide alignment and key actions. Don’t assume the student already knows the pose or what any cue means.
- When it comes time to teach- create your own transitions. (For example- if you are leading Sun A and teaching Warrior 1- you might come into Warrior 1 from Downward Dog after going through a full Sun A. If you are teaching Triangle Pose- you might come into it from Downward Dog or from Mountain Pose> Star Pose> Triangle Pose.)
- Assist while you teach if you want. You will also be assisting Joan while the person after you teaches.
Katie: Lead Cat/Cow and Sun A 3 times. Then teach Tadasana, Virabhadrasana 1 and Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Brad: Lead Sun B one time. Then teach Plank and the transition from Plank to Chaturanga- or the ground. (Explain options and how to know which option to choose). Teach Virabhadrasana 2 and Trikonasana.
Christina: Teach Trikonasana and Ardha Chandrasana. Lead one Sun A. Teach Urdvha Mukha Svanasana. Childs Pose.
Erin: Teach Parsvottananasana, Virabhadrasana 3, standing Hanumanasana. Childs Pose.
Kehlee: Teach Mula Bhanda. Teach Ustrasana (Explain options and how to know which option to choose). Teach Eka Pada Rajakapotasana.
Laura: Teach Marichyasana, Virasana, and Pachimotanasana.
Mentorship Program Details
Winter Mentorship Program Information
Open to Asha ASTT Program Graduates Only
(Application Required)
After completing the Asha Yoga 200 Hour Advanced Studies and Teacher Training Program, you may like to:
Continue your studies toward teaching yoga
Gain more experience assisting students in asana
Begin teaching under the guidance of a mentor teacher
Receive formal feedback on your teaching and assisting progress
Assist future Asha Yoga Advanced Studies/Teacher Training Courses
Re-Visit your studies of Inquiry through The Work
If so, I would like to invite you to apply for the Spring/Summer 2011Asha Yoga Mentorship Program. Completion of the mentorship program will allow you to gain the experience required prior to being hired as a teacher at Asha or elsewhere; it will not, however, guarantee a teaching position at Asha.
Mentees will be required to:
- Observe one class prior to assisting and teaching
- Assist one class for Mentor Teacher a minimum of every other week
- Assist additional classes for other teachers (optional)
- Student teach a donation class at Asha Yoga a minimum of every other week
- Team-teach with all other mentees one time per month; with formal review and feedback from Mentor Teacher
- Review video recording of teaching and receive group feedback.
- Book study with Mentor Program Assistant (former ASTT and Mentorship Program graduate)
- Guided group Inquiry session (The Work) on teaching yoga
Program Details
- The Mentor Teacher for this session is Cori
- The Mentor Program Assistants for this session are Joan and Sarah
- You will be responsible for marketing your donation class (You can do this via Facebook, notify family and friends, post Asha produced materials about the donation classes around town, etc. (You may not produce your own marketing materials)
- Team-teaching classes will be video recorded. Each Mentee will be responsible for teaching a portion of the class and assisting a portion of the class. The Mentor Teacher will be attending this class. Assistants will assist the Mentor Teacher and receive feedback on this aspect. The entire group will review the video recording and feedback will given by the group and Mentor Teacher.
- The book study will be on Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers
- All donations made by students attending mentee classes will go to Asha Yoga and support keeping the fee for the mentorship program low.
Schedule
Program Dates: January 19- March 8
Available Donation Class /Times to Teach (Full Program)
Saturday 2pm East Sac
Sunday 2pm East Sac
Friday 2pm East Sac
Available Classes to Assist (Full Program)
Monday 4:30pm Dynamic
Monday 6pm Balanced
Sunday 11am Dynamic
Thursday 6pm Dynamic
Group Required Meetings (Partial and Full Program)
Wednesday or Thursday (TBD) 7:30-9:30 pm
January 18 or 19: The Work on Teaching Yoga
February 8 or 9: Teach/Assist Review with Formal Feedback, Group
March 7 or 8: Teach/Assist Review with Formal Feedback, Group
Required Team Teaching (Partial and Full Program)
- Recorded by Program Assistants (Mentor Teacher not present)
- Full program participants will teach and assist
- Partial program participants will assist and be students
February 6: Monday 7:30-9:00pm
March 7: Monday 7:30-9:00pm
Book Study (Partial and Full Program)
Saturday 9-10:30 am
February 4
February 11
February 18
Program Fee
Full: $145*
Partial: $89*
*Members of the Mentorship Program are required to maintain an auto renew unlimited membership throughout the program.
Currently, six members can be in the full mentorship program.
The “Partial Program” option is an alternative for those who may still need more practice teaching before being given the opportunity to teach a donation class on the Asha Yoga Schedule. The intention is for the partial participants to have more time to be supported as you prepare to enter the full program at another time.
Closing Details and Final Homework
xoxox
This Blog: (And these posts) will be here for a couple more months. When a new training is approaching, I will delete all posts and comments. I may save some comments for future reference though WILL NOT keep your name attached to anything saved.
To prepare for the written test: Re- read the manual and review your notes. I HIGHLY recommend you take the test within the next two weeks. Everything on the test has been throughly covered in the manual and in our time together.
To take the written test: You may take the test any time Sarah is working at Asha Yoga- midtown. Give yourself about 1.5 hours. You will have a second time to take the test if you do not get a passing score the first time.
Performance Evaluation: This must happen on one date before December 23. (Plan 1.5 hours) My suggestion is a Monday morning at 9am. Set two exact dates that will work for your group and email me the two options. I will try to make one of them work for me and let you know which one it is! I will write another post with recommendations for each of you based on the last time I observed you teaching at the retreat.
Mentorship: Look for details on the upcoming mentorship program that will begin in January. This time there is going to be two options. 1. The full program ($145) and 2. A partial program that gives you a little more preparation time before beginning to teach($89)
Survey: Please take the survey soon, while your experience of the training is fresh. The Survey will come in an email.
Amitabhan: Will be coming to Asha Saturday December 17 at 6pm. Hopefully Surge Protector and the OOO EEE Bhajanistas will be headlining!
Application for Certification: Remember you have 4 months from now to complete all final homework and apply.
Final Homework and Application Packet: Final homework questions are below and will also be sent to you in an email attachment.
In your application packet, please include:
- The question and the answer to each question. -TYPED AND PRINTED.
- The Requirements and Application Form from your manual.-Filled out.
- Any make-up work for hours missed during the training.
- All completed homework initialed by Joan or I
- Your record of asana, meditation and cleansing during the home study portion of training
Light on Life Questions
- “The practice of yogasana for the sake of health, to keep fit, or to maintain flexibility is the external practice of yoga,” B.K.S. Iyengar. Discuss fully the above quote. Include in your discussion all aspects of Yoga, your own journey with yogasana, and how you might present the above understanding to a class of students.
- Pick one quote from each of the Kosas. Include the quote and explain in detail your understanding of each sheath of being. Additionally, how do the eight limbs or petals of yoga affect the harmony of the kosas?
- “The afflictions are a particular pattern of disturbance to the human consciousness…” Discuss the wave patterns of the human mind, the five afflictions, each in detail and how they apply in your own journey. (take the shirt off and examine it)
Flowering of Awareness Questions
- Discuss in detail the quote “The goal is to let go of what is contracting you and expand into a deeper awareness of who you are.” Include in your discussion examples of contracting states for yourself and how one might expand into deeper awareness.
- Discuss the three “Principle Understandings” of a Spiritual Practice in detail.
- What do you think is meant when Hareesh states that, “Tantra is a movement, not a religion.” Include your own experience with reference to your own spiritual journey.
- What are the Six Understandings of the tantric self? Give an example of each for yourself.
Class Observation Questions
- How was the practice environment and “vibe” prepared before students arrived?
- What kinds of things were you able to observe about individual students as they prepared for class? (Names are not necessary, but provide pertinent details.)
- What did the teacher or staff do/say to help students feel safe and welcome in this class?
- Did the teacher do anything to make a personal connection with the group OR to relax tension and encourage laughter/ joy? How did you sense this was received, generally?
- What was your favorite word/phrase/saying?
- Did the teacher observe the students as she taught and confirm they were hearing and following her direction?
- Did the teacher expect every student to understand every detail perfectly?
- Please list up to 3 things the teacher said or did that you would have appreciated as a student or would like to incorporate into your own teaching style?
- Write down any questions you have for the teacher about things they said or did during this class.
- Please make any additional comments or offer any feedback you’d like (to be shared with teacher).
Home Practice Design and Questions
- Provide the date and length of practice.
- Provide the sequence practiced
- Indicate Peak, preparation and counter poses
- What was your intention or theme?
- Comment on your experience of the practice.
- What type of pranayama did you do?
- What type of meditation technique did you use?
Teach 5 Full Classes and Provide Details
- What was your sequence?
- Where did you teach?
Who were the students? (Include their experience level with yoga)
Week 9 Assignments (October 23-29)
Awareness Practice:
Again, no awareness practice.
Reading:
- Reminder: Complete Yin Yoga prior to retreat
- Reminder: Complete Loving What Is prior to retreat
- Review details of retreat, including the checklist, in your manual and let me know if you have any questions. lease o this now, rather than waiting until right before the retreat.
Post #1:Respond to the Following Question (Due by Sunday October 30)
- What do you think is the difference between the type of Awareness Practices you have been doing the last couple of months and self analysis or even self reflection?
Meditation Practice:
- Use this time before the retreat, where there will be fewer assignments, to get back on track with your meditation, for those of you who have not been consistently practicing.
Week 8 Assignments (October 17-23)
Awareness:
Feel free to live totally unconsciously, acting, reacting and experiencing life without awareness… if you choose. (No awareness assignment this week!)
Post #1
Watch the video, Flowering of Awareness, and comment on the video by Sunday (rather than Thursday).
- Did the video clarify, answer questions or provide insight for you?
- Did the video spark any questions or confusion for you?
- What aspects of the lecture can you most relate to in your own experience?
- What aspects seem the most elusive to you?
Reading:
Prior to the retreat be sure you have completed:
- Loving What Is
- Yin Yoga by Paul Grilley.
Essay Questions for Flowering of Awareness:
- Discuss in detail the quote,”The goal is to let go of what is contracting you and expand into a deeper awareness of who you are.” Include in your discussion examples of contracting states for yourself and how one might expand into deeper awareness.
- Discuss the three “Principle Understandings” of a Spiritual Practice in detail.
- What do you think is meant when Hareesh states that, “Tantra is a movement, not a religion.” Include your own experience with reference to your own spiritual journey.
- What are the Six Understandings of the tantric self? Give an example of each for yourself.
Week 7 Assignments (October 10-17)
Reading:
Complete Loving What Is if you have not completed it by now.
Awareness Practice: This week, pick any previous awareness exercise to repeat. Do not go back and review your comments from the exercise when you did it originally. See what you notice this time around.
Post #1: Post what you noticed happening for you during the exercise. (And potentially what perceptions you were having of others during some exercises)
-We discussed in the group meeting that the intention is to observe without judgement, self analysis or added commentary, yet we all know how difficult this can be. We discussed how the posts can be a starting point. (You may be judging and analyzing in your own mind, but can you POST without it?) Those of you who posted regarding the “Who’s business were you in?” exercise did a great job posting what you observed without added commentary, judgements or opinions about what you observed.
Watch Video
Watch the video links below. This may give some of you perspective on what Byron Katie teaches, though you can hear it from a different voice in a slightly different way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Post#2: Confirm that you watched the video. Did the videos help to clarify anything for you or do you have any questions?
Week 6 Assignments (October 3-9)
Awareness Practice:
Explore the idea of “Three types of business”
1. Your business
- For this exercise, examples of being in your business are when you are focused on what you are doing, what you can do, what you want, and how you will behave.
2. God’s business (or change the word God to the universe, nature, reality, etc.)
- Examples of being in God’s business are when you are focused on or attempting to control things that are not within anyone’s power to control, such as anything that is already happening or has already happened (This is “God’s” business because no one can change what has already happened or erase something that is happening from having happened.) Additional examples of “God’s” business are earthquakes, floods, and time of death.
3. Other people’s business
- Examples of being in another persons business are when you are focused on what someone else did, what they think, how they are acting, or what they should do.
Whose business is it if an earthquake happens? God’s business.
Whose business is it if your neighbor down the street has an ugly lawn? Your neighbor’s business.
Whose business is it how you react or respond in your mind or to your neighbor about the ugly lawn? Your business.
If you witness a kid getting bullied by another kid: You are in YOUR business when you decide how YOU feel about the situation and what YOU are going to do (or not going to do) and when YOU take whatever action you take. You are in “God’s” business when you argue with reality or think that kids shouldn’t bully other kids or that life is unfair. You are in the “Bully’s” business when you think that he/she should not be behaving this way and you may end up in the parents busines if you begin to think about how they should/shouldn’t be handling this situation.
This week
- Notice how often you spend your time in “God’s” or other people’s “business”.
- Particularly notice every moment you feel stress, anxiety, or anything other than at ease… stop and determine who’s business you are in in that moment.
- One day set a timer for 5 minutes and count how many times you notice yourself out of your business.
Post
- Write your observations.
- Remember to write your observations without added commentary about what you think about your observations. Stick to sharing what you noticed happening during the exercise, not what you think about what you noticed happening.
- Write the situation you were in when you timed yourself for 5 minutes and write how many times you counted yourself out of your business.
Have fun!
All LOVE,
Cori
Week 4 Assignments- September 19-25
Awareness Exercise
- Begin to make a list of all the thoughts you have that argue with reality.
- Make a list of 5-10 thoughts per day for at least three days. (Your list must have a minimum of 20 thoughts for your Thursday post.)
Post #1: Update the group (and me) on your weekly practices. Address the following areas:
- How often have you been sitting for meditation? What have your meditations been like?
- How often have you been practicing asana? What has your asana practice been like?
- Have you been practice teaching? What progression are you noticing and what are you struggling with?
- Do you need some support form another group member to help keep you on track? If yes, make a request. (Such as- Will someone text me on MWF to ask if I have meditated and can they ask me to reply back when the answer is yes?)
- What has the overall experience of the awareness practices been like for you? And do you feel like you are giving as much as you’d like to receive from them?
- Re-read all of the entries and comments from weeks 1-3 awareness exercises. What questions do you have? What are your over-all reflections?
Week 3 Assignment (September 12-18)
Awareness Exercise:
An Experiment in True Listening
- Select a minimum of 2 conversations per day (Monday-Wednesday) where you will practice listening without interrupting. (If these conversations will not come up naturally, you may need to make a lunch date with a friend or call someone on the phone.)
- Consciously attempt to stay present with the person and to listen to them without following your own thoughts instead.
- Try out the idea that when people talk they’re finding their way to what they really mean and the best way to help them is to just listen. Allow yourself to take in what they say without wondering what their point is. Trust that when they stop talking you’ll understand.
- Be sure that you have ample time set aside to listen for as long as it will take the “talker” to talk.
- Do not share with the person about the exercise. Instead, if you are asked about your behavior, say things like “I’m interested in what you’re going through, I want to take the time to hear what you have to say, I just feel like listening today, it’s your turn to talk, tell me more. -Or something similar that feels comfortable for you.
- Do not share stories of your own, express how or why you can relate, offer advise, or say anything at all.
Journal about your experience
- Did you or the conversation seem to suffer when you listened instead of talked?
- Did anyone notice or comment on your behavior?
- Did your experience of the people you were listening to change in any way?
- What did it feel like to listen?
- Were you tempted to interrupt?
Online post
Share your observations and experience.
… Time goes by quickly, especially when we are caught up in a story about how busy we are… I hope to hear you guys have gathered to practice at some point! If not, at least continue to practice on your own. There will not be a lot of practice teaching opportunities at the retreat prior to your formal review for certification. NOW is your time.Week 2 Assignments (September 5-11)
- This week notice yourself interrupting people. Do not try and stop yourself from interrupting, just notice it. Notice during phone calls, chatting with friends, family, co-workers, clients, your partner, etc. As you interrupt, silently say to yourself “I am interrupting you because________”(Fill in the blank.) Do this exercise enough times to notice the top three thoughts that lead you to interrupt.
- List all the reasons you interrupted in your journal and circle the top three re-occurring.
- Read Loving What Is up to page 105. (Everything up to page 105 that you have not already read.)
- Your top three reasons for interrupting others
- Anything else you want to share about your experience of the exercise
Second Post (Due no later than Sunday September 10 at midnight)
Remember to keep in mind:
These weekly exercises are not meant to show us the things we already know or have previously analyzed about ourselves. They are meant to show us something new and something much deeper than typical self-analysis. That opportunity requires that we observe what is happening very closely. These assignments are not QUICK and EASY. Observe your emotions, your physical movements and sensations, your inner and outer reactions, thoughts, words, etc. and look with the intention to see the truth of what is there, not with the need or expectation of finding something specific. When we really watch what is happening, we start to notice things we never saw before. This is what we are looking for! The more we watch, the more we will realize how unaware we have been, the more awake we become. Also remember these exercises are not about finding something wrong with your behavior or tendencies. Look for what IS going on, not why you think something is going on or if it should or shouldn’t be there. This in an exercise in increasing awareness, not judging or changing behaviors. Yes, we will use the mind as a tool for observation AND we are trying to use it more consciously than we may be used to.
- Continue to track your asana, pranayama, meditation and cleansing practices
- Past your posts (emails) from week one into the comment section of this forum (with the week one post)
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