I began my yoga practice when I was a high school teacher in the late 1990's. For me, along with my fellow teachers, yoga was a way to bring a sense of calm to our bodies and minds after a very long day of student interaction. It was also during this time that I began introducing my students to meditation (yoga was difficult to practice due to the physical makeup of the classroom). My students, at first, were a bit hesitant to practice. Our conversation revolved around my personal meditation practice and the importance it played in my life's journey. Over my 18 years of teaching Social Studies grades 9-12, I practiced meditation with each class. There may have been a few who found meditation difficult to practice (they were never forced to participate, but were asked to sit quietly), but for most the benefits were wonderful; a sense of calm, focus, and a time where they could put aside academics and focus on their breath and the present moment.
Student Mindfulness Meditation (2004)
It has been 20 years since I began my journey practicing yoga & meditation. I have seen it evolve; and at times, not in a way that I think Patanjali, Krishnamacharya, B.K.S. Iyengar, or T.K.V. Desikachar would have envisioned. For most of my life, my yoga practice was personal, but I shared my belief in meditation with my students. Eventually, I was asked to teach yoga to students and athletes from various sports. I didn't have a "certification" but what I did have was the knowledge I gained through my personal journey both practice and literature. My young yogis seemed to appreciate how they felt both emotionally and physically. Some, even though they graduated years ago, still practice. It makes my heart very happy. I know that I given each a gift .
It was not until I began to think about my life after teaching in the classroom to teaching at a yoga studio that I began to realize years of experience and personal study were meaningless if you did not have "certification" from a reputable yoga establishment. So, I went through the training, got my 200 RYT and became a "real" teacher. I have talked with fellow teachers who have been teaching for 30 years or more only to have to go in and take the course to get certified so that they are complying with some sort of standard, set by who, for who??? How embarrassing and degrading that must have been. And yet, I do believe that before one takes on the responsibility of teaching they have to have taken courses and practicums (BS in Education & Masters in Professional Development) in that field. Even then, it takes years of practice, of finding what works and what doesn't, discovering your students various learning styles, and feeling confident in one's abilities.
The training that I took was taught by people whose heart's were in the right place, but their knowledge was incomplete. One of the teachers had not completed the minimum of 200 RYT and yet was leading the group. I wonder how much of this is occurring in the plethora of teacher trainings being conducted everywhere. Because I had practiced for several years, read books concerning yoga and meditation, and taught students and teachers I felt I would increase my knowledge base preparing myself to teach in the public arena. Were my goals completed? Yes, but not with the depth I had hoped. But, my previous teaching background gave me the foundation in researching, planning, and teaching that I needed for the mat.
Can Yoga survive commercialization? I hope so. I am optimistic . There are studios, I have practiced at them, who hold the essence of Yoga as the foundation of their philosophy. It is these studios that one should gravitate towards. The rewards are priceless.
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| Student Mindfulness Meditation (2004) |
The training that I took was taught by people whose heart's were in the right place, but their knowledge was incomplete. One of the teachers had not completed the minimum of 200 RYT and yet was leading the group. I wonder how much of this is occurring in the plethora of teacher trainings being conducted everywhere. Because I had practiced for several years, read books concerning yoga and meditation, and taught students and teachers I felt I would increase my knowledge base preparing myself to teach in the public arena. Were my goals completed? Yes, but not with the depth I had hoped. But, my previous teaching background gave me the foundation in researching, planning, and teaching that I needed for the mat.
Can Yoga survive commercialization? I hope so. I am optimistic . There are studios, I have practiced at them, who hold the essence of Yoga as the foundation of their philosophy. It is these studios that one should gravitate towards. The rewards are priceless.
"Master Teacher Maty Ezraty on the State of Yoga Right Now,"by Andrea Ferretti (Dec. 22, 2018) (https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/maty-ezraty-on-yoga-right-now?platform=hootsuite)
