Keeping Student and Teacher Relationships Professional in Yoga

By Eleanor Bartel

While yoga teachers have dozens of students in all their classes, students may only have one or two teachers. This means that as an instructor, you hold a prominent position in the lives of your students. Students may want to develop a deeper relationship with you outside of the studio. It will be your responsibility to maintain a professional relationship with them. As a teacher, it is important to keep all relationships with students professional and focused on the practice. Inappropriate relationships between teachers and students can not only effect the healing practice, but it can also lead to legal and ethical issues in the studio.

Respecting the Practice

When your students are in your class, they should be totally focused on their own practice and their body and mind. Starting a personal relationship with a student can lead to awkwardness in class and a distraction from the actual yoga. In order to allow your students to focus on what is truly important - the yoga - you should always remember that your primary, most important role in the studio is that of a teacher. Your students look to you for guidance throughout the practice, and by creating personal relationships with students, you may make it difficult for them to trust and respect you wholly in the studio. This can cause your students to have a negative experience with yoga, leading them to give up the beneficial practice. If you truly feel as though you want to have a relationship with a student outside of class, it is best to suggest that the student find another teacher first. This way, the practice of yoga will still be the most important aspect of the student's sessions.

Legal Repercussions

Because of sexual harassment issues in yoga studios lately, it is never a good idea to start a romantic relationship with a student. Even if you feel a deep connection with a student and want to date, it is always best to first find them another class with a different teacher. This is because even if things start out well, a relationship can always go south. When you end a personal relationship with a student, it can affect far more then just your personal life. An angry student can make accusations about your relationship that can harm your reputation and lead to legal repercussions. In order to protect yourself, it is best to always keep your personal and professional lives separate, even when your professional career involves something as personal as the practice of yoga.

Ethical Dilemmas

As a yoga teacher, you hold a position of power in your studio. Often times, you are a role model and inspiration to your students. This can lead to students becoming attracted to you or having a crush. It will be your responsibility to handle this common issue professionally. Never take advantage of the situation by using a student's attraction to you as a means for personal gain. Remind your students that your role in their lives in one of a teacher, and treat all your students equally and fairly.

The relationship between a yoga teacher and student has often been compared to the relationship between a therapist or doctor and their client - a sacred, safe relationship that needs to remain professional in order to preserve the integrity of the work. As a trained yoga instructor, it will be your responsibility to maintain the sanctity of the practice by always remaining professional and respectful. Make it a priority of your own ethics to remain focused on the yoga, and make sure your students understand the reasoning of your position.

© Copyright 2014 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Tips for Inspiring Yoga Students

By Avalon Hicks

In order to stay interested and committed to anything is it important to have high levels to inspiration to keep going. There are a lot of ways to find this inspiration, which can come both from within and from outside sources.

The following are some of the ways that can be adopted or at the very least explored in order to provide this said inspiration:

·      

   The environment where the yoga session is being done should have a welcoming and calming aura. If these very basic elements are not felt and there is no comfort in this environment, there will eventually be a lot of excuses as to why there is no longer a commitment or a strong “pull” to attend yoga sessions. The idea of looking forward to going to class must be dominant at all times because once this is lost, the problems of skipping sessions starts and this may eventually result in giving up yoga altogether.

·      Creating and presenting yoga in an exciting manner is also important to keep the inspiration going. Simply performing all the various yoga movements will not help to inspire the individual to continue for very long in this endeavour. Learning to think of yoga as more than just body contortions and movements would be a good starting point. There should be a meeting of the mind and body and only then will positive energy flow and release all the necessary inner reactions that will facilitate a comfortable and relaxed aura.

·      Understanding the various different yoga movements and how it benefits will also help to inspire an individual to continue to stay active in practising this art. With understanding comes the inspiration and zest to embrace discipline and enjoy each session attempted. Yoga no longer becomes simply a session of performing various different exercises and poses, but now takes on a whole new deeper meaning and joy.

·      In order to reach a level where yoga becomes a “love” more than just a practice, there has to be some level of excited commitment tagged to the overall mindset of an individual. Looking forward to each session is important and to ensure this, it would be wise to have the yoga sessions in groups. Likeminded people will always help to be an inspiration to one another. Participating in group yoga sessions will help to keep from becoming lazy and ensure a more consistent level of commitment. This is especially crucial during the initial stages, when the yoga sessions may seem a little more difficult than anticipated.

·      Exposure to more advanced sessions where there is an opportunity to see the benefits and capabilities of experienced yoga practitioners, is another way to keep being inspired. Watching others make yoga look so simple and relaxed and having first-hand knowledge of the effectiveness of yoga is an excellent form of inspiration. It is akin to “seeing is believing!” There is nothing better than seeing happy and relaxed people enjoying a yoga session to keep a person inspired and continue to commit to their own yoga practices.

·      Finding a good yoga instructor is also important. Good yoga instructors are able to help design yoga sessions that are suitable for beginners using techniques that are not too overwhelming. Good yoga instructors are experienced enough to be able to feel the lack of enthusiasm or if a beginner is having difficulty in keeping up with the yoga poses. They will then try to help find ways to make the sessions more enjoyable and doable.

In the end, inspiration is something every individual should actively work toward finding him or herself.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

Yoga is a Path to Self-Esteem

By Avalon Hicks

In today’s world one can see all sorts of negative connotations surrounding body image and self worth. From magazines and television to the Internet, people of all ages cannot escape the predispositions of what a healthy, perfect body looks like. For years we have been fighting a battle that is ongoing with negative self-esteem and self worth, often without success. It is those destructive associations that we as a society must fight against for the good of our children and adults alike. Yoga is one of those tools that could change the way we look at ourselves in a positive light.

Yoga is not just for fit, tiny people. Yoga is for absolutely everyone, including children. One of the first steps to becoming more in tune with your body and overcoming your self-image is just getting to a yoga class. Once you are there, you will be surprised at the wide range of people who enjoy the practice of yoga. Begin your path to self-awareness by signing up for your very first class.

Yoga has a proven track record to help people become more flexible, stress free and even help with posture. But you may not realize the benefits that yoga has while you have been through the practice for some time. Yoga helps you become more in tune with your body and brings you self-acceptance. You become more aware of what your body can and can’t do and you will notice the change in your body after you have been practicing yoga for a while. Mind over matter will become apparent when you are practicing yoga. Yoga helps clear your mind from all of the regular noise that fills our head during the day. By clearing your mind, you can relax easier and become less stressed, ready to slip into your pose and enjoy the moment.

There are benefits of yoga that you may not see, but feel.  Yoga gets people active without placing an importance on losing weight or competing with your neighbor. Gone is the notion that you need to be skinny in order to be happy and healthy. Yoga will help you stretch and build muscle resistance using your own body weight. Not only will you find that you may sleep better at night from regularly practicing yoga, but your concentration will be more focused and you will find the chatter in your mind may slow down. Yoga also helps us recognize when we have negative thoughts and how to clear those from our mind. Slowly you will find the negativity dissipates and you will become more content with yourself.

A yoga community can be a great place to meet new friends and explore a world beyond the gym mentality. Yoga focuses on you and self-growth rather than how many repetitions you can do and how much weight you use. Many people are intimidated by the gym and shy away from physical activity because of it. Yoga gives you an alternative to keeping fit in a positive environment without worrying about attending a gym to get it. Exercising with positive energy surrounding you will help you become more confident and able to continue a yoga practice regularly.

By practicing yoga you will inevitably relieve stress, which in turn can calm your mind of the negative thoughts that continuously come into play in your mind. By knowing how to calm your mind and deal with negative thoughts, you can turn your self-conscious around and become more positive with yourself and those around you. What better way to relieve stress, keep yourself fit and feel better about yourself, than by practicing yoga on a regular basis. This one simple practice can do so much for your self-esteem, why wouldn’t you want to try it?

© Copyright 2014 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

A Guide To Yoga Instructor Ethics

By Faye Martins

Yoga is much more than a way to get your body in shape. It is a way of life with its own moral code that serious Yoga practitioners are expected to follow. These principles have been passed down for many generations. Now that Yoga has become the most popular group fitness activity in the world, the people who teach it are held to the high standard described by this moral code. Let's take a look at the list of Yoga instructor ethics that people are expected to follow:

Competence

1. Maintaining Competence

A Yoga instructor must always continue to strive for excellence in their profession by constant self-assessment of their own abilities as a teacher. Constant study of the best methods to instruct students is expected.

2. Personal Conflicts and Problems

Yoga instructors should avoid any teaching activity that could possibly be negatively affected by their own personal problems. If anything in the teacher's personal life will prevent him or her from performing their duties in an exemplary manner, they should wait until the problem has been resolved before teaching again. They owe it to their students to give them the best instruction possible.

3. Substance Abuse

Under no circumstances should Yoga instructors attempt to offer any form of advice or instruction if they happen to be using alcohol or drugs. If prescription drugs are involved, it is the instructor's responsibility to find out from their doctor if there will be any side effects that could possibly impair their judgment and prevent them from properly performing their professional requirements.

Personal Relationships

1. Exploitative Relationships

A Yoga instructor is forbidden from using their power over another person for the purposes of their own self-interest. They should never exploit people whom they possess evaluative, supervisory or other authority over such as employees, supervisees, clients, research participants, student teachers and students. Exploitation is defined as behaviors or actions that place the desires and needs of the instructor above those whom he or she has power over. This also includes situations where a subordinate of the instructor might also benefit, but the instructor's actions are motivated by their own self-interest.

2. Conflict of Interest

Yoga instructors should never agree to a job when their effectiveness, competence or objectivity could possibly be affected by their own financial, professional, personal, legal or scientific interests.

3. Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is defined as physical advances, sexual solicitation or any nonverbal or verbal behavior that pertains to sexuality that are unwanted or considered to be offensive to the recipient of the advances. Furthermore, this type of harassment creates a hostile, offensive and uncomfortable environment for students.

4. Discrimination

It is prohibited for Yoga instructors to engage in any type of discrimination based on a student's socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity, age, disability, religion, culture, race or gender.

5. Seeking Counsel

If a Yoga instructor believes that he or she has encountered a situation where their ethical behavior might be questioned, it is their responsibility to seek out the proper professional guidance.

6. Teacher/Student relationships

Exploitive relationships between students and teachers are always forbidden. A Yoga teacher must not enter into any romantic/sexual relationship with a student that they are currently teaching. This type of situation can often result in the teacher's judgment being compromised.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.

Adapting To Each Trimester When Teaching PreNatal Yoga

By Faye Martins

A pregnant woman adjusts to many changes in her body throughout her pregnancy. During those nine months, each trimester brings its own set of challenges she needs to adjust to. When teaching prenatal yoga, you must be aware of the challenges of each trimester so you can adapt to the woman's new abilities and needs.

First Trimester

If you have a newly pregnant woman in your class, first be certain she has her doctor's approval to participate. While most women are encouraged to continue exercising and many physicians recommend yoga, under some circumstances yoga might not be the right activity for your client.

Even for women who have the okay to participate in yoga class, check to make sure they are taking the right class for their energy level. Pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, can be exhausting. The new mom-to-be might be better suited to a restorative class than a class featuring a vigorous flow. You should also try to find out if the woman has been pregnant before. If pregnancy is a totally new experience for her, she may be less aware of how her body will react to activity.

Most standing poses are safe during the first trimester. Any poses which require balance should be done near a wall to minimize the risk of falling. You can include hip openers, but be cautious-- and encourage your students to be cautious-- as hormonal changes are already naturally opening the hips now and they can be pushed too far.

Avoid inversions when teaching prenatal yoga. Also avoid standing twists, though seated twists can help reduce back pain. Avoid all other poses that strongly compress or stretch the belly.

Second Trimester

By the second trimester, most pregnant women will have adapted somewhat to the changes in their body and may have more energy to support a practice. However, by this time the changes in their physical shape may make it more difficult for them to practice the way they are used to.

Most standing poses continue to be safe, but wide-legged poses can put a lot of pressure on the pelvic floor. You can adjust some of these poses by having the student sit in a chair and stretch their legs out.

In addition to poses that open the lower back and address back pain, poses that open the chest and alleviate upper back pain may be desired now. Pregnant women develop additional breast tissue that may cause discomfort.

You should not allow a pregnant woman in this trimester to lie flat on her back any extended length of time; use bolsters to prop up her upper body. This will ensure a safe, continuous blood flow. Prone poses may be challenging due to the woman's shape; you may need to modify poses by adding supports under the woman's hips to elevate the body and make room for her belly, or by doing a standing version against the wall.

At this point in her pregnancy the woman may begin having concerns about delivery; breathing exercises like Alternate Nostril breathing help practice the skills she will need during labor.

Third Trimester

The woman's baby is likely to be very active at this point and the woman very aware of all of the baby's moves. Focus your yoga instructions on poses that help make more room for the baby; this will also help the woman become more comfortable. All poses that require balance should be done with a chair or near the wall. Cat pose or pelvic tilts can help move the baby to a more comfortable position. Spend a lot of time working with the expectant mother on breathing, both to help prepare for labor and to help her relax now.

Conclusion

As you work with pregnant women more, you will develop an understanding of the changes they are undergoing and the changes you need to make to your yoga instruction. You can have the joy of knowing your instruction is helping two people to get healthy through these poses.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA.