By 
Like a fish unaware of the polluted waters in which it lives, we are so surrounded and full of stress that we don’t even know it is here. As yoga teachers, part of our job is to teach our students to be aware of when, where and why they are stressed. Chronic stress, constant fatigue, and relentless stimulation are an integral part of our culture, which is why five cups of coffee are an unfortunate part of many people’s daily routine. It’s no wonder that stress has become the way they feel connected to their world. Our duty, in part, is to help our students break this popular addiction to stress and stimulation. We must remind our students that stress is not an essential part of life. Peace is.
During class, frequently remind your students to pause and feel what they are doing, both while striking a pose and immediately afterward. As they pose, ask your students to feel the weight of their body fall on their heels or feel the pressure of their fingertips pressing the ground. The mind automatically enters a reflective state when it is asked to observe what is going on within the body.
As your students pause after each pose or after each flowing set, encourage them to bring awareness to their bodies and create equanimity in their minds before continuing. Closing the eyes creates calm because the body responds by changing the nervous system from its active, sympathetic state to its calm, parasympathetic state. Opening your eyes reverses this. For example, when students have finished Balasana (child’s pose) after Shirshansana (headstand), I ask them to come out of Balasana with their eyes open, sit on their heels in Vajrasana (lightning bolt pose), and then close their eyes. eyes. I ask you to tune in and feel if Shirshasana has left a trace of turmoil or an aura of peace. If you feel agitated, I ask you to resolve internally: “Next time, I will do this pose with greater awareness to create more peace. More peace.” Then I ask them to open their eyes and move to the next pose.
We feel at peace only when we feel safe. As soon as we feel fear, our primitive animal nature awakens and our sympathetic nervous system triggers the “fight or flight” response. Therefore, it is our duty as teachers to ensure that our students feel safe in class. When they do, their parasympathetic system comes to the fore, allowing for self-exploration and healing. Self-exploration is not a priority for those who live in fear. As our leaders show, with frightening regularity, fearful people are more concerned with defending themselves and countering the aggressive force of an “enemy,” although the enemy is generally in their own mind, and often is their own mind. When a student appears to be afraid, ask yourself, “What have I done to make this student feel unsafe? What have I not done to make the student feel safe? Is the student reflecting on my doubts or fears? If so, is he Do I have enough training to teach what I am teaching? Is my selfish desire to appear competent creating fear in my students and destroying their peace of mind? Or has this student brought her own fears into the class? If so, how can I reassure the mind of this student and help her feel safe? “
Our classes should be a quiet antidote to the feverish fervor of modern life, giving our students time to tune in, pause, and feel. Let’s not reduce our classes to just one more hectic episode in a student’s day, a more relentless blur of intense activity. Uninspired teaching generates sweat alone. Inspired teaching creates a connection with peace of the soul.
© 2008Aadil Palkhivala