Tulsa Yoga Meditation Center, 5319 S. Sheridan, Tulsa, OK 74145
  • HOME
  • TEACHERS
  • Blog
  • PRIVATE INSTRUCTION
  • YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
  • REIKI

WHAT B. K. S. IYENGAR SAID ABOUT YOGA TEACHERS

1/18/2018

 

In his book, The Tree of Yoga, B. K. S. Iyengar's last chapter is about  yoga teachers.  Here are some of his thoughts about yoga and yoga teachers:
1.  Yoga teachers should quit bragging about having been in India
Here is what yoga master, Iyengar states so clearly: "I remember very well when India was under the power of England and France.  Indians who had visited Europe used to put a notice in their houses proclaiming 'France returned' or 'England returned' as if theyh were extraordinay and privileged persons. The same thing is happening now in yoga. Students from the West come to India and 'India returned' yogis are teaching yoga all over the place....God alone know how much experience they have or what is the quality of their work."

2.  Yoga teachers should not teach if they don't have a personal practice.
Iyengar is tired of hearing from yoga instructors who say they don't have a personal practice but "nevertheless know what they are doing.  I tell them they should stop teaching if they do not practice for themselves."  He also warns cautions teachers not to go "beyond the frontiers of your knowledge."

3.  Done properly, yoga teaching is very challenging.
"It is relatively easy to be a teacher of an academic subject, but to be a teacher in an art is very difficult, and to be a yoga teacher is the hardest of all," he says.  Why?  Because a good yoga teacher has to be self-critical in order to improve his or her practice; because a good yoga teacher has to understand how the body works; because a good yoga teacher has to understand his or her student's bodies and how to best respond and protect them.

4,  Yoga teacher must always be learning.
"They will learn from their pupils and must have the humility to tell them that they are still earning their art," he says and adds that a good yoga teacher is a very positive person who instill confidence in the student.

5.  Yoga is a spiritual practice.
"To live spiritually is to live in the present moment," Iyengar notes.  Yoga becomes a deeply spiritual practice "as long as no other thoughts come to you" and you remain in the moment and fully in the pose.


(PS - feel free to repost or link to your social media)








Comments are closed.

    Victor M. Parachin ...is a

    Vedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.