Important points in learning yoga:
- We students may remain as long as we
feel well on each posture, avoiding forcibly strain.
- If we practice in group we may not end
the practice all together.
- Everyone can come out of the exercise
whenever one feels like to undo the practice.
- Everyone is glad to feel the atmosphere
of a open class in which one can choose when it is enough.
- Silence before and after the class brings
concentration and peace.
- Do not hold breath in any exercise. Breath
always normally in every posture.
- In the beginning the relaxation may be
guided by speaking and pointing every part of the body one by one.
- We may check the feeling before and after
the exercise.
Whenever we come out of the asana we check
if there is there something different. How we feel?... yoga says that
we can become a little more "satvic".
What does it mean?:
The three "gunas"
(bondages that tight) are the three different qualities of nature present
in all the creation:
—"rajas"
Restlessness, anxiety, instability,
aggressiveness, vehemence, competitiveness, agitation and painful movements.
—"tamas"
Laziness, lethargy, depression, heaviness,
indecision, drowsiness, clumsiness.
—"satva"
Awaken relaxation that offer us serenity,
clarity of understanding , creativity, lightness, happiness, tolerance,
pity, compassion and love.
The three "guna" are present in
all and in countinuous movement and change.
A good way to see if our tendencie in this
moment is tamasic (inertia, unconsciousness, heaviness, density, gravity,
hypo activity, resistance); rajasic (hyperactivity, speed, hyper dynamic)
or satvic (acceptance, intelligence, happiness, the ability to do all
easily and to be at easy with all) is: observe that while on the posture
we want to undo it, to come back. We may think: - It is too much... just
no more, it is enough-. We may observe that afterwards, once we are in
the relaxation posture we feel imperson. We want to do something else.
Then we may think: - When will we start to do something?, I want more
action-. And finally we may accept the situation feeling at easy in action
and also in quietness welcoming everything as it comes, without resistance.
- A good method for learning yoga is the
group work in small teams of three or four members who may talk about
all the experiences and after, to prepare a exposition for other groups.
- Dialog, everybody can give an no egoistic
opinion. When you ask me I do ask you.
- Speak slowly, sweetly, kindly and smile.
Do not speak too much.
- Relax. When you relax your positive side
grows, not when you resist.
- To do yoga slow is like to walk slow,
sometimes we can not because we become nervous.
- While speaking yoga teacher should not
be self centered. It is good to avoid speaking too much about oneself:
"I, me, mine, for me, I want".
- To give a chance to other teachers to
give the class is a nice idea. To invite other teachers and health professionals
will always help. Contrast is good.
- Little silence before and after speaking
gives peace to the people who listen.
- Help the students to be in all practices
with full awareness and not to fall in a mechanic way of doing.
- Be person with difficult students, when
you accept them, they melts down.
- Bless is relaxation. When we relax our
questions goes, we forget our doubts.
- To help the students during a yoga class
we can say: "Be neutral, like a witness. Go very slow and smooth. See
it relaxed. Observe the slightest changes. Be alert. Be gentle. Let it
go. See what happens inside. Just release it. Go deeper. Voluntarily do
relax and spread it all around the body. Internalize your awareness. There
is nothing to push, nothing to strain. Feel good. Trace it with keen awareness.
Mellow it down".
In yoga we try to learn from outside
towards inside, from the body to mind, from superficial to profound, from
easy to difficult.

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