Here is an oxymoron for you: Some of the best Yoga teachers are
great listeners. This is a general guideline for Yoga students
who aspire to teach some day. Listening skills, in Yoga, start
when you take your first class, as you learn by hearing,
watching, and doing.
The Yoga student who learns predominantly by listening will be
able to verbally communicate the finer techniques to others in
the future. This is not to say that other methods of learning
have less value, but a skilled Yoga teacher must be a
communicator and be able to reach into each individual student's
mind.
Therefore, not all Yoga students can learn from you in the same
way. Some will learn by listening carefully to your cues, others
will gain more from an assist, and some will be able to copy
just by watching. As a Yoga instructor, you still have to be a
good listener when it comes to all of your students' questions.
Most Yoga teachers do a good job with handling student
questions. However, here is something to think about: Do you try
to clarify why a question is being asked? Consider that your
student may not be clear in his or her communication skills and
you need to "get to the heart of the matter."
The motivation behind a question is more important than the
question itself. You don't want to waste your time giving
unrelated information before, after, or during a Yoga class. So,
get a clarification about what you are being asked, and learn
why your Yoga student is truly asking you this question. This
will benefit the both of you and avoid wasting your student's
time, as well.
If a student asks you a simple question, with a "yes" or "no"
answer, you can still find out the motivational source by
saying, "Yes, but why do you ask?" This technique is really that
simple, and you may find the question is much deeper than you
originally perceived.
Another mistake some Yoga teachers make is handling a question
defensively. Your student thinks enough of you to ask for your
opinion and is interested in your answer. If he or she had no
respect for you, your opinion would not be important. Now,
whether you perceive an objection or not, you should ask for a
clarification before answering.
There is a positive side to all of the questions your Yoga
students ask, but you must clearly see the motive behind the
question in order to give the best answer. The bottom line is:
Even though you are now at the front of the Yoga class, your
listening skills must be better than your best listeners in your
class.
© Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
About the author:
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in
RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He
teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a
Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a
Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
