Recently, I’ve been substitute teaching “no-hammock yoga” at a local yoga studio. The yoga style they offer there is not one I was trained in, but I’ve been lucky that the studio owner has been allowing me to teach what I know.
You’ve heard the term, “practice what you preach,” to remain authentic and honest. Well, for yoga it’s important to teach what one practices, pretty much for the same reason – for authenticity and honesty. But also, a teacher’s knowledge of internal details and philosophical insights all come from their own practice. Without those details and insights, the instruction remains in the realm of body mechanics. And, a yoga practice isn’t just about becoming physically fit, it’s about becoming mentally and emotionally fit, too. Therefore, it’s important for yoga teachers to inspire their students, and not just be a drill sergeant of sorts.
Even though it’s important students (myself included) stick with one yoga lineage*, at the same time, learning and practicing something new is a healthy activity for the body and mind. My current classes are teaching the students some new positions, and some new ways to practice familiar positions. And perhaps most importantly, together we’ve been practicing an important yoga attitude, as well – receptivity.
My teacher, Dharma Mittra, ends many of his classes with encouragement to, “Be receptive.” He’s reminding us that all the challenging yoga positions we practice during class are meant to train us to become strong and flexible both physically and mentally. Being receptive means being “okay” with anything that comes our way, whether it brings some sort of pleasure, or displeasure. And, the attitude requires mental strength and flexibility.
All of us walk through our days with completely natural expectations – we expect our house to be there when we return from the grocery store, we expect to receive a paycheck of X amount on X day, we expect our children to outlive us. And although we intellectually know there are no guarantees in life, at the same time, most of the experiences in our day are banal expectations that wind up becoming fulfilled. These fulfilled expectations create an environment of predictability and stability, which we tend to perceive as comfortable and safe. And although we all prefer comfort and safety over discomfort and danger, if we don’t allow ourselves to be receptive when unfulfilled expectations surprise us, then we miss out on the potential that lies in the present moment. Yogis have a word for being receptive when an expectation goes unfulfilled: non-attachment.
Yoga was always meant to be a spiritual practice. And although most of us aren’t going to become wandering sadhus (the ultimate in ascetic renunciation), the practice of non-attachment is still important even for the casual practitioner.** Receptivity is the opposite of expectation, and the key to achieving our yogic goal of non-attachment.
Let me share an example.
One time, I was traveling with my husband, and our flight had a layover somewhere. Our first flight was so delayed, that it made us miss our second flight in the layover city. Unfortunately, there were no flights back to our final destination until the next day, forcing us to stay in a city we weren’t expecting to stay in for a night. At first, we were upset about our unasked for change of plans. After a few moments, however, we both realized this “bad luck” could actually be seen as a blessing in disguise, as we got one extra night of vacation, and a good story to tell. We went out to dinner, and enjoyed a little bit of adventure. Had we not been receptive to the change in our situation, we might have spent the night pouting in the hotel, bitterly complaining about and to the airline, inconveniencing ourselves on future trips by spending more money to ensure we never again fly with a layover.
In other words, something happened that surprised us, we were receptive to the new situation by not being attached to our expectation, which allowed our minds to create a new and different plan of action which we actually enjoyed.
I’ve noticed some of the students at this new studio where I’ve been teaching have been delighting in trying new positions, and new ways of practicing familiar positions. I’ve had a few students thank me after class for showing them something that felt good for their… (hips, knee, back, etc.) Other students have taken to ignoring the instructions, choosing to stick with what they already know works for them, patiently waiting until class is over, and their regular teacher returns. And of course, there are those who do a little of both.
Part of my job teaching yoga is to teach what I practice and practice what I teach, and so it’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to practice receptivity along with the students, and to respect and embrace all the various attitudes toward my instruction, whether a student enjoys what I teach, or chafes against it. After all, my yoga instruction is just a map to point students in the direction of self-realization, our ultimate yoga goal. And, there are many paths which all lead to the same destination. The teacher may assist the student with guidance, but it is the student who is doing the work of traveling their path. To some extent, everyone must find their own way, no matter who their teacher is. My suggestion is to be receptive while on your yoga journey, as it will help you see more of the path ahead, and you’ll be able to make the best choices for you, on your specific route.
* There’s a wonderful quote from Swami Satchidananda explaining the importance of sticking to one yoga lineage, one teacher: “There’s no value in digging shallow wells in a hundred places. Decide on one place and dig deep. Even if you encounter a rock, use dynamite and keep going down. If you leave that to dig another well, all the first effort is wasted and there is no proof you won’t hit rock again.”
** As stated in the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, sutra 1.12, “The mind can reach the state of Yoga through practice and detachment.” (translation by T.K.V. Desikachar)
