Why do you do yoga?
As a recently certified yoga teacher, I’ve been thinking about what’s important in a yoga class. As a teacher, I think it’s vital to understanding why your students are attending your class and what they want to get out of it. All of this made me think about the varied reasons we do yoga.
Here are some of the reasons why I’ve done yoga:
Physical activity: I started yoga a little over five years ago. Back then I was lazy. Really lazy. I loved to sleep in, watch excessive amounts of TV and aside from walking to and from school I really didn’t do much else physical activity. My mum had been practicing yoga for years on and off and decided she was going to start going to a class again. She asked me if I wanted to join her. In a moment where I was out of the lazy mindset, I thought, “Why not?”
Stress relief: I started doing yoga towards the end of high school. Preparing for the HSC, the never-ending assessments and the fact I am a compulsive worry wart, left me just a little bit stressed. Some nights I’d wake up and would have a stream of random facts running through my head from all my studying. This is when I started regular pranayama and asana practise to keep me on the level. From a students point of view, yoga also has enormous benefits to enhance concentration, a useful tool when you’re cramming for exams!
Exercise: Many people come to yoga as they’ve heard of the mythical “yoga body” or sometimes it’s a bit more specific. I’ve heard plenty of people say “I want a yoga bum” or “yoga arms” and starting off, yes, that was also a driver for me. Who doesn’t want a toned stomach? But as B.K.S Iyengar mentions in Light on Life, although initially a student may be driven by the more physical side, once on the path of yoga they will become captured by the deeper side of it. This leads me to my next point.
The deeper side: This varies person to person. It might mean the spiritual, the mental benefits, the philosophical or traditional aspects. Either way, once you truly involve yourself in practise, you are also bound to find an aspect of yoga that goes beyond physical asanas. Don’t get me wrong I love asana practise. However, I’ve been captured by the parts of yoga that are off the mat – karma yoga, theory, chanting, the list goes on.
Social: Yoga is not typically defined as a social activity. In fact, it’s a very individual practice. However, when you’ve been going to the same Thursday class for years, with the same group of great people, it’s inevitable that bonds form. It creates a welcoming and warm mood in class where everyone chats like they’re old friends, encourages and motivates each other and swaps CDs and books.
Why do you do yoga? What makes a good yoga class?
