Lately I have been reflecting on my teaching journey, and what I have learnt along the way, and I need to write it down, somewhere.
Becoming a sort of full-time yoga asana teacher was not part of my plan when I left my architect job 3 years ago. Since getting a teaching certificate in 2015, I have been teaching one weekly class and some private classes but never did I teach more than 3 classes a week.
That changed rather suddenly in early 2024 when I agreed to take over a fellow teacher's classes due to her sudden illness and she needed to take a break to restore her health.
I took on the classes without knowing what was in store.
As I was used to teaching a set sequence and relatively young students in their mid-30s, the new spectrum of classes in varied ages and with unique health conditions brought new lessons for me. I have categorised my learning into the following:
1. Adapting yoga class for students
2. Ultimate goal of yoga practice
3. What is the yoga teacher's role in a world increasingly saturated with fitness trends obsessed with body image and performance?
Adapting the yoga asana for different students, broadly categorised according to their age group was a very big learning point for me. I had 3 main senior groups which had different needs.
a) Gentle Class for seniors: Day class of seniors ranging from 60 to 85 years old;
b) Hatha Yoga Class for young seniors: Day class of seniors ranging from mid-50s to 85 years old, mainly ladies.
c) Hatha Yoga class for midlifers: Evening class of midlifers ranging from mid-40s to early 60s.
Even if the yoga asanas can be largely the same, the underlying principles for each class is slightly different. In the Gentle Class, the physical emphasis tends more towards strengthening the muscles and joints, without risk of over-straining. The strengthening happens when we are holding a asana (isometric loading) or moving slowly, to allow the joints to take load in different angles.
In preparing the seniors in these asanas, it is important to teach them how to stabilise themselves through their feet and hands, which are the main contact points of the body with the ground. It quickly became apparent to me that for them, there is gradual loss of control or sense in their toes, feet and fingers due to lack of intentional care or use.
Main asana adapations and focus in this class include:
- Gentle on sensitivity of joints. Most of the seniors are uncomfortable coming into with direct loading in their knees and wrists. Asanas that require load bearing on these two joints will be done in slow movements than holding for longer period of time.
- Increase sensations in feet and hands. At the beginning of the class, it is beneficial for the students to gently massage their hands and feet for proprioception. This gentle act soothes the nervous system and sends a message to their brains to be aware of these body parts that may have been neglected.
- Balancing act. The act of balancing becomes precarious as the seniors start to lose muscles especially in their legs and sensations in their feet. Balancing postures have to be done with a lot of care, as gentle falls can lead to fracture due to their reduced bone mass.
- Informing ahead and repetition. Giving the students a preview of the pose that we are going to do together is a way of reassuring them and alievating their fears. Verbal cues of encouragement also goes a long way for them to build confidence in themselves.
In the next post, I'll share my thoughts on the asana adaptions in the second group, Hatha Yoga for Young Seniors.
....End of Part 1
