In this webinar, yogis will learn a few key ways to consider and alter their teaching language. This is a lesson in understanding the intention behind language, how we speak to students, and what the repercussions of those words can be.
Further, it's an invitation for examination–for yoga teachers to look intently at the way they speak to their students, ask why, and refine their language for a more positive, factual, and encouraging experience.
Refining the Language of Teaching Yoga
Andrew discusses a few key factors of language in teaching yoga in this webinar. Specifically, he shares on topics like:
Invite Rather Than Command
Invitational language creates an opportunity for students to experiment in their body and to build awareness of sensations on their own terms.
Example - “Close your eyes if this feels available to you today.” Give fewer cues, ask more questions.
Avoid Saying “Rest in Child’s Pose”
Another way of saying this is “don’t assume!”
Just because a certain position, like Child's Pose, feels restful for us it doesn’t mean that everyone else is going to feel the same. This can also set up the false idea that this position should feel restful which can lead to a student thinking that they are doing something wrong or that they are not “good” at yoga!
Avoid Fear-Based Language
Teachers use the word “protect” a lot, e.g. “Engage the core to protect the lower back.” This adds to the false narrative that certain parts of our body are fragile.
Our body is, in fact, antifragile, meaning it becomes stronger when stress is progressively applied to it.
Additional Resources
Use the coupon code BEYOGI15 to receive 15% discount on Doctor Yogi's 30-Hour Yoga Anatomy Online Course.
About Andrew
Andrew McGonigle has been studying anatomy for over twenty years, originally training to become a doctor and then moving away from Western medicine to become a yoga teacher, massage therapist and anatomy teacher. He combines his skills and experience to teach anatomy and physiology on Yoga Teacher Training courses internationally and runs his own Yoga Anatomy Online Course. His book Supporting Yoga Students with Common Injuries and Conditions: A Handbook for Yoga Teachers and Trainees was published in March 2021 and his new book The Physiology of Yoga was published in June 2022. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband. For more information visit: www.doctor-yogi.com
