Yoga and the Broadcaster

Today...I had an epiphany! I have four days left at my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training at Frog Lotus Yoga...and the light bulb is now full-on! The lead instructor called me out on my sanskrit...and my use of extraneous words, and suggested I should teach a little less with my hands. She continued by saying, she knows I'm a broadcast journalist and I have a command of communicating. She's right! I am a broadcaster and do have a strong command of communicating. I started to think...maybe if I had a grading rubric, I would be able to step up my Shanti! Immediately, the rubric I use for grading new military broadcasters came to mind. There are nine graded areas and they sure do seem to lend themselves perfectly to teaching yoga.

1) Voice Quality: Depending on the class you're teaching you need to make sure your quality and tone support. Additionally, your voice quality must change throughout the class. In the beginning a calm and steady voice invites the students to be present. If teaching a vinyasa class, your cadence and directness must increase as the flow-tempo increases. At the end, in savasana, once again a calming, soft voice is required.

2) Vocal Energy: Your vocal energy must match the class you're teaching. Broadcasters rely on finding the "mood" of the story to determine their energy. In yoga...it is the type of class. For a slow-flow Hatha class, NO ONE IS WANTING A CHEERLEADER! However, after 45-minutes of a Vinyasa 3-4, a little pep just might be what the doctor ordered. (sorry won't unbold!)

3) Word Grouping: Are you leaving your students wondering what is happening next, or do you formulate (and actually speak) specific directions? Ever taken the class where you were left in a precarious position due to the instructor being lost in thought? That's word grouping.

4) Stress & Intonation: Let's face it...sanskrit can be a bitch! Body parts tend to blend. Was that drishti, or samasthiti?

5) Communication of Ideas: Was the class completely esoteric, or were there some easily to digest pieces of information that you can gain traction with? How many times did the instructor say, "UM?" Were there any "crutch" words and phrases? How many times can I "really enjoy the stretch?" What if I'm not enjoying the stretch? You know when you have a great instructor when he tells you what he wants you to do exactly. "Lengthen your side body as you inhale and reach through the fingertips."

6) Articulation: This is always fun...Try being a voice and diction coach, then attend a yoga school with folks from all over the country. I'm pretty certain many of these students don't know what an "r" sound is! One of my favorite instructors is a guy from Vermont. His articulation would put a cringe in my neck at my other job...but is very charming in this yoga setting.

7) Word Recognition/Comprehension: Broadcasters have proper nouns, yogis have sanskrit and anatomy. Mispronounce someones name...lose credibility forever. Invite a class to explore Adhra Mukha Savasana...and you'll get the "what-what" look. (Adho Mukha Svanasana- Down Dog)

8) Overall Performance: This is pretty easy to tell how well you did in yoga. If students hug you, or keep coming back with more friends...then you're money. If you're all alone, you might want to review the first seven graded areas.

9) Following Instructions: Did you in fact just teach an all-levels class? If you did, you provided modifications for the novice and the advanced yogi in the class. Check your ego, maybe even ask for some candid feedback from time to time.

I kind of wish I would have thought about this on Day 1, instead of Day 24!

...And the German Judge Gives a 7.5 (Not perfect because of the dismount!)

Oh...those judges! Always finding fault. In fact, they get paid to find fault. Problem is...there are a lot of non-paid judges out there finding fault...sometimes that judge is YOU...and you're finding fault with YOU!

It's a vicious world out there. Between keeping up with the Jone's and trying to stay in-touch or at least up to speed with the latest trends, its no wonder we constantly judge ourselves. This judgment often comes to our yoga mats. I've been victim of it. My favorite example is when I first met my friend Lacy who was around 8 months pregnant. She was leading a class and I was totally showing off the entire time. Towards the end she entered into Ardha Chandrasana, Half Moon Pose. I'd never seen this pose before...and figured if a pregnant lady could do it...so could I. I crashed right to the floor. I got right back up and tried it again with the same results. Mind you...I'm a big dude. When I fall...it is loud! It was a very humbling experience and a perfect example of judging!

I instantly judged Lacy as a pseudo-capable person do to the fact that she was pregnant. I knew I was a stud, since I had just returned from a trip to Iraq where I was working out 2-3 times a day. The problem is two fold. 1) Lacy is a yoga goddess who has been practicing yoga for many years, to include Ardha Chandrasana. 2) I on the other had never practiced, let alone seen this pose and was full of the "look at me" mentality.

Our yoga mats should never be a place of judgment, rather a place of self-reflection. Lacy has a great way of explaining the power of a yoga mat by calling them a place that is "home" no matter where it may be. Think about that for awhile. One of my yoga teachers here Jennilee Toner explains it best when it comes to not judging on our mats; "There is no such thing as a perfect pose, only a perfect pose for you." In radio, my friend Bill Hickman says, "There is no right or wrong in radio...only what works and doesn't work!"

Anatomically, every body is different. Every brain is different. These are simple facts. So in reality, there really is no "perfect" anything! So...my "un-trained" advice...just be the best possible YOU...you can be! -Namaste!

Inspiration

Hello, my name is Chris and I have been practicing yoga since 1999. I'm a 20-year Air Force vet who enjoys sharing my yoga journey with others. The above picture is of me and my friend Dave while deployed to Iraq in 2007. This is when I began sharing (teaching) yoga for the first time. I've been hooked ever since. I have been diagnosed with ADHD, allergies, and in '99 I pinched my sciatica nerve. Up until 2008, I was taking different medicines to help with each. Today, I am pain free and medicine free, and I give all the credit to Yoga. Currently I teach a vinyasa/power class twice a week, and kids yoga once a week. I have attended a couple of workshops and have my Level 1 certification with Yoga Fit. (FYI...very difficult to get certifications in Europe.)

I am at a crossroads in my life...retirement from a job I've been doing for more than half of my life...What to do next? I'm leaning towards being a full-time yoga instructor. But what does that really mean? What style do I want to teach? Should I teach one style and explore another? Join me as I look for inspiration over the next few years and transition from an active duty Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer to...who know what!