A Unique Twist

A unique twist - Adventures of a TK Yoga Therapist

While my head spun, literally, on account of teaching three completely different classes in one to an outside group of only six people this week, I though it important to mention to prospective and current Yoga teachers: Not only is teaching adults in group Yoga classes a challenge, it's not even a thing, in our lineage. The only group classes taught when I studied there from 2001-2012 were the children's classes and a group for epilepsy, for which a research study was underway.

Beyond early-mid adolescence, each student's unique personality, physical and emotional nuances render optimally effective group experiences less likely. Individual differentiation requires personalization for Yoga to function as an optimal, holistic healthcare modality.

What to do? We still teach groups, with a built-in intelligence that emerges from Krishnamacharya lineage's application acumen. First: assess the students. Know them. Talk to them. Learn about their conditions, limitations, goals. Everyone who signs up for any class at Yoga Foundation doesn’t only sign a waiver, they tell us why they are coming, and mention what their current concerns and goals are.

Second, not every student can attend every class, and many perspective students are unhappy about this. Often, they will find themselves at another Yoga spot that will place them anywhere just for the business. I won’t. If your first Yoga class is a placement-fumble on my part, you may never return. If you’ve never meditated and come to our current meditation, the breathing practices and mantra-s may be out of your range and comfort zone. If you want to strengthen your bones but can’t get up and down off of the floor, our current Yoga Therapy for Osteoporosis group is not your group.

Delivering his father’s and Patanjali’s teachings in the most expert manner, TKV Desikachar guided us to always teach to the weakest in the room. Ahimsa in action, first do not harm. Scale up to provide challenge, and don’t disregard the less able. Maintain the function, modify accordingly.

Faced with two adolescent students on complete movement restriction, two others approved for movement, and two others approved for movement, yet late for class for medical reasons, I found myself teaching three classes at one time. Seamlessly. How? The movement-restricted students (let’s call these the weakest of the group) learned breathing and beginner meditation techniques. The on-time movers had a complete class. The late arrival movers began from the first sequence, I talked them through the next few, and then skipping some, the entire class conjoined about three quarters of the way in.

One saving grace in this environment is that we rarely demonstrate beyond the bare minimum in this teaching tradition. So students develop concentration and listening skills. Another is that we communicate instruction concisely, so it’s straightforward. Furthermore, once we’ve whittled down demonstration and verbal prompting to a minimalist level, we are liberated to circulate and offer alternatives to those who need.

Feedback was incredible. One’s headache was gone. Another’s stomach ache was gone. Another’s racing thoughts slowed down significantly. And every single one thanked and smiled at me upon conclusion, a welcomed sign from a Gen Z demographic.