Yoga ~ Anne Nowell

As mentioned in the video clip on this web site, I am now developing different aspects of my teaching career. Some of you are interested to hear more of these developments.

From my resume of education I have noted that my background comes primarily from the teaching tradition of T. Krishnamacharya and his foremost students. One emphasis of Krishnamacharya`s work as a yoga teacher was the honoring of a student’s individuality and the adaptation of yoga techniques to address the needs of that student.

As most of you who are teaching yoga or any movement form understand, there is a necessity of a beginning basic pattern (if you will the ABC’s) of an exercise sequence. This pattern has been taught by Pattabhi Jois in Ashtanga Yoga as “Series”. BKS Iyengar has outlined practice in Courses in his book, “Light on Yoga”. Bikram Choudhary has used a sequence of 26 postures as his teaching pattern. These sequences give the teacher (especially the beginning instructor) a guide or grid to follow for developing the structure of a class.

As a yoga instructor gains more experience, he or she can vary or adapt a pattern to suit a specific situation or to develop an intention for a class.

• How do we teach stiff but fit beginners?
• What modifications should be made for persons with minor injuries or limitations?
• What is the student wishing to achieve from the class?
• How do we work with elderly students?

Originally TKV Desikachar used the term Viniyoga to imply yoga techniques that honor a student’s starting place and moves him/her forward in a safe and useful manner. In classes of large numbers, safe and useful can be difficult to achieve. Viniyoga in recent years has come to represent yoga as therapy. Yoga Therapy is usually taught in a private or one-to-one class. With the cost of private lessons being prohibitive to many students, my wish is to help train more teachers and students in the methods of adaptation, which is the cornerstone of Krishnamacharya`s work.

A different direction for me as a teacher is this intention to help others who wish to learn the methods of observation and adaptation, which were a prominent part of my own training. “Classical” sequences can be adapted to individual situations, be that in groups or in private. Honoring a student`s intention (why they came to class) and developing safe and useful sequences should be a goal for anyone who aims to be effective as a yoga instructor. I am currently developing workshops and training to address these goals and I look forward to working with many of you. Please contact me with any questions or comments. Blog posts are welcome!!

Namaste