I might not be the yoga teacher for you…
And that’s okay
Last week I joyously announced the return of Wild Yoga classes to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, after taking a sabbatical from my work/business. You see, I run a rest-driven, woman-led ‘business’ (I wish there were a better-suited name for what I’m creating, but for now let us call it business). As such, my work moves with the seasons of life and cycles of energy. How could I possibly show up in authentic service and support of others if I don’t allow myself that same support? It’s been wonderful.
Ever since my husband and I left our city lives and chose a new direction in homesteading, I’ve wanted to do things differently. Wild Yoga began in 2021 when I was still teaching in Brisbane, and has evolved with me as my practice and lifestyle shifted. I hope this will continue, as it’s a true testament to honouring our humanity. We aren’t machines, and shouldn’t be expected to have output as such.
While taking my sabbatical and immersing myself in other creative pursuits, I had space to clarify what Wild Yoga looks like now. Because not all yoga teachers are the same. Just like how not all artists are the same (heaven forbid, how boring would that be!). Yoga teachers are in a position of service and work intimately with people, ergo, a box-of-chocolates situation is expected! This piece is written from my perspective as a yoga teacher, read on for why this is of value to you as a practitioner!
So what makes every yoga teacher different? Some food for thought.
I encourage you to consider these components that make teachers unique, whether you’re a teacher OR a student. Find what resonates for you. I think it’s important to understand where you and your teacher/s are coming from, as it’s your practice at the end of the day!
As always, with humans, take these with a grain of salt.
The teacher’s own practice: In my opinion, authentic teachers teach what they live and know. They create offerings and sequence classes from their own practice, to teach well-founded and safe experiences. A yogi who has an asana-dominant practice with a calisthenic focus might be more inclined (and equipped) to teach such classes.
The teacher’s view on what yoga is: Everyone sees yoga as something different, and that’s GREAT. Some see it as ‘active recovery,’ others as a deep, reverent practice. Typically, how teachers view yoga is how they teach it.
The teacher’s ethos or intention for their students: A teacher’s intention for what they would like their students to experience should be the driving force for their classes or offerings. For example, if teachers intend for their students to have a playful and fun practice in their classes, that would shape how and what they teach.
The teacher’s Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) experience and other studies: the initiation into guiding others in yoga can contribute to how a teacher shows up in holding space. The location (e.g. India vs Western countries), the YTT instructors themselves, the topics of interest, the duration of training, and the trainee’s experience in the YTT can play out in their teaching. Yet training isn’t the be-all-end-all… as well as these other factors, a teacher’s independent studies can equip them with more knowledge and insight that help construct how they teach. It doesn’t even have to be yoga-related to be beneficial for students!
The teacher’s uniqueness as a person: This shines through early in a teacher-student interaction, or rather, in a human-human interaction! Some teachers have a boisterous, animated personality, others are more quiet, and this can (and should) dictate how they teach.
This isn’t an exhaustive, nor limited, list of what makes each yoga teacher special. What’s most important is what YOU, the one learning from and guided by the teacher, require. All yoga instructors have something to offer! It’s just a matter of whether they work in cohesion with you.
Considering this, I think it appropriate to bring to light what I hope to instil in Wild Yoga offerings…
I teach to give support and guidance. In humility, I share my practice that is grounded in reality and upheld by philosophies and ancient wisdom. I give you tools, practices and exercises for well-being, vitality and longevity. My background in exercise and nutrition sciences formed the scaffolding for my view of movement as medicine, which has now extended past the physical and into the physiological, neurological, emotional and psychological effects of yoga. I honour lineages and the pure age of yoga but adapt teachings where needed to suit our modern life (and the people I serve). I love the flow of vinyasa, but think the stillness of yin to be equally vital. The breath, the intention, and the approach in my student’s practice are the focus as much as movement is. Community is nurtured, and respect is upheld. Here is a space for you to receive, but also to give to the collective. Nature, and her seasons, are my greatest muses, and I weave into my offerings resonance of the wild.
I love this excerpt from the Tao Te Ching:
“I have three things to teach:
simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
You return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate towards yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.”
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 67
I give you simple practices– one of my own teachers always emphasised that we must let the practice speak for itself. It might not be sexy, fancy or particularly trendy, but that is part of the power of what I teach. I hope to encourage patience, within your practice, with yourself, and with the world around you. To give you pause, before action. Compassion is of the utmost value to me in how I navigate the world, especially in this role of service. We must be compassionate to ourselves, and yoga is a beautiful way to practice this.
If you feel the echoes of my ethos, then come join us! I’m putting the call out to those who want to be a part of the Wild Yoga community, those who are interested in yoga as more than just movement. I can’t wait to reconnect in person with weekly classes, commencing Monday July 8th at 5:30pm for Dynamic Flow (best suited for practised yogis) and Wednesday July 10th at 5pm for Yang to Yin (suitable for all yogis). Bookings are essential, with the booking platform to be released soon.
Warm and vital regards,
Abigail
Yessss! I hung up my (teaching) yoga mat this year and returned as a student to yoga. There is really no rhyme or reason other than I felt like it was necessary. Those pauses and breaks offer us so much x