Even after 3 years of teaching practice, the very idea of teaching a Beginners Yoga class is still challenging... even more than teaching a bunch of Intermediate Eager Beavers who can't wait to sink their hands on the more funky stuff like inversions and arm balances. Perhaps this is because Beginners, like all practitioners, come in different shapes and sizes, and are a very diverse group. You can come to the mat with a pre-planned sequence, ready to get them moving and breathing, but almost always, a spanar is thrown in the works, and you'd end up thinking on your feet, and teaching something else because there IS a need to do so.
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| Size does not matter in Yoga |
Trained by my many years in a regional corporate marketing portfolio, I tend to group my Beginners into 6 different segments. You might recognise some of them.
The Newbies
The Newbies are what I like to call 'yoga virgins'. They're totally new to everything yoga, and while some have hamstrings so tight you can pluck a tune on them, others have a natural flexibility that they themselves aren't even aware of. Newbies are often seen in loose, huge t-shirts and sweat pants in a yoga class. Some of them have little or no connection to what their body is doing, and as they are quite intimidated by their lack of yoga'ness, they are often backbenchers, mimicking the person's postures in front of them (which isn't always the right thing). However, they've made the first move to come to your class, so make them fall in love with yoga, and you will reap the rewards of watching their practice blossom and deepen as time goes by.
The Lapsed Practitioner
The Lapsed Practitioner is someone who's probably done about 6 months of yoga, and then due to various reasons, disappeared off the yoga radar for a few years, only to suddenly resurface in your class. Due to being MIA for so long and having an irregular practice in the first place, they will claim to have "done yoga before" but it's best to wipe the slate clean with this one, and reclassify this practitioner as a Newbie.
The Real Beginner
Aaah, the Real McCoy. The Real Beginner is, well.... a beginner. He or she has probably done a few weeks or up to 8 months of yoga classes with you, and comes to class on a regular once-a-week basis. A basic understanding of Sun Salutation this practitioner has, but due to the huge gap between classes, still suffers from muscle soreness after each class. Some body awareness has already been established.
The Ugly Duckling
As the fairy tale goes, the ugly duckling eventually transforms into a beautiful swan. Practitioners who fall in this category come to class twice or thrice a week, and has probably been in a Beginners class for the past 3 years. Reluctant to move on to an Intermediate class due to fear of "not being able to cope", The Ugly Duckling does not realize that she already has established a pretty strong basic practice, and has so much more beautiful potential to transform the breath, body and mind in a deeper practice.
The Geriatric
The Geriatric chooses a beginners class as your studio probably does not have a special class for Senior Citizens. This practitioner is a retiree, loves the idea of still keeping the body and mind active, but has a host of health issues related to people of their age. The enthusiasm factor could be high but be prepared for things like osteoporosis ("No, dear I can't do the Half Moon, I might fall and shatter my elbow"), hearing aids, high blood pressure, knee pain, slip disc, the works.
The Pregnant Practitioner
Not to be grouped in the same Beginners class as the other 5 categories, the Pregnant Practitioner is also worth a (separate) mention. The Pregnant Practitioner (in Malaysia, at least) has never practised yoga in her life, and comes onto the mat, only because of having read a myth that Prenatal Yoga guarantees open hips and natural childbirth!
Imagine the challenge of a teacher, when 3 or 5 segments turn up in your class? How do you then keep the flow going so as not to exhaust the Geriatric, bore the Ugly Duckling and The Real Beginner, yet spark the level of interest for The Newbies and The Lapsed?
Basically there are no hard and fast rules to approaching this challenge, nor is there a right or wrong answer. Here's my take on this :
- In a 60 minute class, apply the 5:30:15:10 ratio of Pranayama and Tuning In (5 mins), Sun Salutations and Standing Postures (30 mins), Seated Postures (15 mins), Restorative and Savasana (10 mins).
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| Image of Jason Crandell, Yogaglo |
- Come to class with a plan, but be prepared to shift gears and put on your creative thinking cap when the need arises.
- Get the practitioners moving, so that they get familiar with body and breath coordination.
- Slow things down a bit if you notice their breath becoming ragged. In other words, keep a close eye on them.
- Refrain from using every prop available in the studio - beginners get alarmed and intimidated when you introduce wall ropes, straps, blocks, chairs AND bolsters, all in a single class. At most, pick 2 and stick to those for the entire class. Eventually wean them off the prop as their practice improves.
- Introduce the basic techniques of alignment, to ensure safety during practice and to prevent injuries.
- Do not bore them with long holding postures.
- Do not be too quick with hands-on adjustments - some practitioners do not like to be touched. Balance off with verbal adjustments, to train the practitioners for body-mind awareness.
- Use basic words and simple instructions - there is no real need to articulate your Sanskrit and anatomical knowledge here.
- Once the basic techniques have been broken down, charge up the class a bit for the regulars, but always show alternatives to the asanas for the others.
- If it's sweat that they want, make 'em sweat!
- For the Pregnant Practitioners, convey to them the facts and benefits of Prenatal Yoga. You're not God, you can't guarantee anything. Neither are you their Doctor, so you can't claim to have the fix-it for all of their discomforts.
- Keep the atmosphere lighthearted - inspire them, encourage them to have fun in discovering where their practice will lead them... push them to their limits, maybe a little more, but always within a place where they'll know it's safe to go to. However, also know when to play hardball when you spot recklessness and disrespect amongst the practitioners.
- Last but not least, teach from your heart. Their progress is your success.
Happy Teaching!
(This post was inspired by the batch of Teacher Trainees currently studying for their TTC with Sun Yoga KL - May The Long Time Sun Shine Within You. Sat Nam).
