So… today I was leading my usual Sunday Power Yoga class and I realized I have these weird things that I say during class. Half way through class I got really annoyed by them – but I couldn’t stop. I immediately became really uncomfortable about these weird teaching ticks and wondered if my students were noticing or if I was just being paranoid. With that in mind I’m compiling this list of weird things I repeat over and over and over when I teach in an effort to f-ing STOP!
1) Slowly: Every single transition I instruct as needing to be executed very slowly. While this is true for most transitions I doubt my students enjoy being beaten over the head with the concept. I’m sure they’ve got it – move slowly.
2) Draw the shoulders back: One would think I could just say this once at the beginning of class – but no. In every single pose I appear to want my students to really, really draw their shoulders back and not only back, but back and down.
3) Draw the belly button back: Oh it’s not just the shoulders, I apparently also want all my students to be hooked through the navel with something sharp and pulled back. This one drives me particularly crazy because there are 1 million different ways to say engage the abs – look right there, I said it. It’s so easy to say something different, but I’ve fallen into this bizarre belly button pattern and between you and me, it’s pretty creepy by the 15th time I’ve said it in an hour-long class.
4) Kind of: I always want my students to kind of do something… kind of twist from the waist, kind of pull their f-ing belly button back. I’m saying this right now – there is no kind of in yoga. There is no kind of in life, you’re either doing something or you’re not. Don’t listen to me when I say kind of in class. Just do it and understand that I’m probably trying not to sound too bossy.
5) Little bit: Same as above, I want them to plant their hand down a little bit… what does that even mean? Maybe place a finger down? No! Just do it. I think these little add-in’s are my way of questioning myself in class, which is foolish as I’m perfectly correct in my instruction. So again, disregard any little bits or kind ofs.
There are probably 1 million more of these, but that’s all I’m going to point out for now in hopes that my students catch me and mock me terribly after class.
This is just something that happens as teachers, we get comfortable in speech patterns and say certain things in a specific way, but the problem with that is our regular students will pick up on this after say their third class and they’ll begin to wonder who broke the f-ing record player.
Catch me when you can with these little speech ticks and please call me out!
XO
Heather C
I have things too. And my students? They DO call me out.
I say So…..
an awful lot.
And ‘broaden your chest’. Which I’ve changed to ‘the ole shrug and roll’ (with accompanying shrug and roll of my shoulders) since I got a few WTF’s
I’m pretty sure I have a whole bund other stooped things I say too. Like crap. And fuck. But I try not to
How about: scoop your tail! Scoot your tail! Put your palms together to acknowledge Ghanesh! Let your heart flow out through your back!
I go to a very earnest studio.
I’ve heard 1, 2, and 3 from every yoga teacher I’ve had the pleasure of taking a class from. And, after being a student for 7+ years, I need these reminders from time to time.
So, I say keep saying them!
As for 4 and 5, well, we all have our ticks.
I say “draw your belly button toward your spine” more times than I care to count in a class…but I try not to beat myself up about it, and neither should you! Cues 1, 2, and 3 are important for students to follow, and there is NOTHING wrong with you repeating them over and over! Remember that students often focus on one thing and lose form in another (equally important) area at the same time – PLUS, it’s been said that you need to repeat a concept at least 7 times for EVERY student in a class to really GET what you mean. There might be other ways to say the same thing, and there is nothing wrong with striving to add variety to your cues, but remember that you still want to use language that is accessible to your students, and many of them often benefit from repetition.
I love it! I am not a yoga teacher, per se, but I find that when I am giving suggestions or trying to show yoga poses to someone that is new, I have a set five things that I tell them…all equally ridiculous and contradictory–”Or maybe you could..” is how I start just about every idea…like you said, you either are going to do it or you aren’t..there’s no maybe. I also saw “roll those hip bones down” a lot. More than necessary. Thank you for the post and the good laugh–it’s good that you know what you want to communicate and have found a way to do it!
All the teachers at my studio have a facination with a tightrope. Everything is either “you’re not on a tightrope- stager your feet” (Standing seperate leg) or “Stretch you can do it- you’re a tightrope” (balancing stick)
It’s hard not to laugh every time.
After reading this the other day, I realized that I say “nice” throughout my classes. In about a thousand intonations. “nice” “niiiiiice” “nice!” Now it makes me laugh. Thanks for this post, it was so nice!!