Perth Wrap Up

Six months in Perth have come to an end, wow!

I am such a different teacher now than when I arrived.  The first 4 months of my teacher career, prior to Perth, were really just about getting through each class and hoping everything went according to plan.  Now I have really found my feet and learned firsthand how to teach any type of class whether it be 75 people, 12 people, majority first timers, non native English speakers, teenagers, claustrophobics, injured people, discouraged people, poorly hydrated people… anything! 

I certainly didn’t become a yoga teacher because I enjoy public speaking and being in front of all those people and more or less in charge can be daunting.  It took a while to feel that I was actually a part of a dialogue with the students, rather than a monologue.  In other words, I may have started by spouting out some words I memorized but now I mean them when I say them, and through trial and error and lots of additional research, I understand why I am saying everything I was taught to say and can confidently ensure that the students are right there with me.  While they do not literally participate in a spoken dialogue with me, their practice is responding to my words. 

Some of the best advice I have received is to make sure that you mean absolutely everything you say; if someone asked you why did you say that sentence, your answer is not “…umm just to fill the silence.”  Sometimes as a new teacher, we try to repeat things other teachers have said or just say anything to fill a gap.  First you must learn to be comfortable with a silence and even know that silence itself can have an intention.  When you are really connected with the class in the present moment and observing those individuals, you will say what is appropriate.  I have learned to allow my dedication to guide me in what I want them to know.  All I can do is share with them what I know, and allow them to find their way; I cannot demand anything of a student.  Some people say that practicing yoga teaches you to be more tolerant but my tolerance has absolutely multiplied since being a teacher.  Students must arrive at their own decisions through self-discovery.  They will learn when they are ready.  When the situation is being in hot room for 90 minutes with a teacher talking nonstop, sometimes they are not ready until they hear you say something for the 142^nd time!

So who knows, maybe I will return to Perth someday!  Saying goodbye to the students was a bit sad.  It is very different than saying farewell to a buddy because I am their teacher.  They were actually thanking me…  I never expected that I could have something to offer to all these people that they would be able to thank me for. 

What yoga people do when we hang out in the park