IN-PERSON COURSES
ONLINE COURSESLast week a participant in my online training asked for some help finding the right language to explain how Subtle Yoga is different from alignment or fitness-based yoga. She was trying out for a new teaching gig and was concerned because she’d been warned that a popular teacher in her community was planning on coming to her class and would, most likely, heavily critique her.
Seriously?! I’d be so freaked out!
First of all, what’s up with a yoga teacher attending another’s class in order to critique them? “My style is better than yours!” How is that different from kids on a playground? “My daddy can beat up your daddy!”
I think that as yoga professionals, we can do a little better. We can at once be more gracious about/supportive of other styles AND we can learn how to talk about what we do with greater clarity and confidence. This will give students a chance to figure out for themselves what kind of yoga they want to practice.
It’s easy to get your Diva-goddess on when you are a popular yoga teacher, but the reality is that teaching yoga is much more about our students than it is about us (do I even have to say that?). I will never be the perfect teacher for every single person. So, let’s just let that one go and support each other instead of bringing each other down. (Anyway, that’s what I’d tell the self-proclaimed decider of good yoga teaching).
Back to my point about describing what you teach. How do you explain to students and other teachers the difference between what we do and some of the more common fitness based stuff that’s out there? Here are some thoughts (and I owe a lot of gratitude to Gary Kraftsow who helped me better understand some of this):
This kind of yoga is not focused on maximizing physical fitness, strength, or even stretching (although it does all of those things incidentally). Rather, it’s focused on building Pranashakti. Pranashakti is the lifeforce energy, which manifests as vigor, stamina, purposefulness, centeredness, and equipoise. According to the tradition, breath-centered practice builds Pranashakti in the central channel.
The central channel, which is an eastern subtle anatomy concept, is an energetic correlate to the central nervous system.
The breath is the gateway to the nervous system. When you regularly practice taking conscious control of the breath, you gain greater and greater conscious influence over the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), particularly the stress response. This greater control can then positively influence functions of the nervous system such as digestion, cardiac and circulatory function, endocrine function and immune function.
When we use breath-centered practices, we help to improve the function of the ANS and through it, there’s the potential to benefit the whole of the central nervous system.
Breath-centered yoga practices are not about getting alignment right, which is more of a musculoskeletal objective/goal. Rather, the goal of this sort of practice is to build greater resilience in the nervous system – to gain greater ability to gradually push open what Dr. Dan Siegel calls, “The Window of Tolerance.” So that the nervous system can better tolerate the experience of arousal/vigilance (that would be the hyper state), and also can better tolerate the experience of low energy/depression (which would be the hypo state). And ultimately, can find the optimal state of the nervous system – for whatever activity, mental or physical or emotional, in which you are participating. And, in general, have greater balance in your life.
Pranashakti is the force that pushes open the nervous system’s Window of Tolerance. We can build Pranashakti through an integrated practice where asanas both directly benefit the ANS, and also prepare the respiratory musculature for deeper and more expansive pranayama practices – which have an even greater potential to build strength and resilience in the nervous system. Both asana and pranayama help to create a capacity for a potent seated meditation practice, which is another (perhaps even deeper) opportunity to continue building Pranashakti and resilience.
The breath is the gateway to the nervous system – so this way of practicing is a nervous system focused practice, as opposed to a musculoskeletal focused practice. Of course some of the benefits overlap, it’s the focus and intention that are different. Breath centered practices are sustainable, accessible, transformative and you will be able to do them until the day you leave this planet.
Feel free to use any or all of this to help your student, potential students or other teachers better understand that what we are doing is different.
And then, you can drop the mic.
Thanks Kristine, this is perfect timing. I am doing your online courses (slowly!) so most of this is familiar to me, but at the moment there is a possibility that I will teach a workplace wellness class – a one-off initially but then maybe monthly depending on feedback. This will help immensely in getting the message across of why I’m doing what I do 🙂
Thank you for all your information and sharing, without it I wouldn’t even have the confidence to consider going into an unknown workplace. I’m 65 (maybe not what they’ll expect in a ‘yoga teacher’ based on commonly seen images), and have only done a little yoga teaching,
Hey Marie, I love that you are stepping into your power! Good luck – you can convinced them I’m sure!! Keep me posted, I want to hear how it goes.
Thanks Kristine! ‘Stepping into your power’ – I love that! I will keep you posted!
This is perfect for use in my 2nd year of offering gentle yoga. I was feeling a little intimidated by the new crop of power and fitness yoga classes popping up, but this gives me such assurance in following my heart. Namaste. Trish
Hi Kristine. The class was fun and relaxed – for me and the students – 4 guys and 2 girls doing it as a part of their corporate wellness ‘ Soulful September’! We ended up doing it in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, a gorgeous location close to their work. As it was a one-off I didn’t bombard them with too much of what it was all about, but felt confident in what I was teaching, thanks to your courses, community, and support. Feedback was that they all thoroughly enjoyed it!! As I did!
WOW – great stuff – I am also based in Brisbane – have just opened a beautiful yoga studio set on 10 acres in Pullenvale – Temple Retreat – offer and focus on restorative and slow mindful yoga – maybe we could connect as support for each other.
HI Kristine. The class was fun and relaxed – for me and for the students, 4 guys and two girls doing the class as part of their corporate wellness ‘Soulful September’. We did it in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, a gorgeous location near their workplace, and the feedback was that they all thoroughly enjoyed it! I had confidence in what I was teaching, thanks to the courses, community, and support you have created for all of us! Thank you!
That’s aweseom Marie! I’m so glad that you and your students enjoyed it. I can imagine the Brisbane Botanic Gardens must be a magical place!
Thanks Kristine
Im so grateful for all this wonderful information to use in my responses to those who ask and those who doubt 🙂
Thankyou Kristine,
For being so clear.
You continue to remind me of why I
do what I do.
In the practice of authentic yoga we are not interested in building physical muscles which will weaken flexibility. Effortlessness and breath awareness are the true keys to practice of true yoga. You relax while you move and then move into the stillness and find your blissful state. Yoga is not exercise where you exert.
Sage Patanjali uses two terms:
Sthira sukham asanam and prayatna shaitilyam. Spend a whole day understanding these two terms and put them into practice. Then your prana Shakti will expand and give you a glow in your face.
I studied under a 125 year old yogi, a superb master of yoga and pranayama. Yes, yoga is subtle and breath-centered. You energize your pranic body and it enhances your aura
I agree with you, Kristine, on the principle that yoga is subtle and thank you for explaining it well in your blog. Very few teachers promote the correct ideas about what yoga is all about. The ultimate goal is moksha or Kaivalya.
This is so helpful. Now I know how to articulate to students. I just started teaching a slow flow class to benefit the students that are school teachers, but everyone loves it! I had a full class yesterday evening! Most of us are in our 60’s with oldest 75. Decided this was the perfect methodology after finishing your Science if Slow. Thank you
I love your description of differentiating the two kinds of focus of yoga practice. Particularly like the words “breath lead practice is the GATEWAY to the nervous system.”
Perfect timing and so clear… I will be subbing a “ power class “ today.
Power?? What ever!
I will get them breathing in and out of standing – Subtle and Held poses, with intention and attention!
Thank you!❤️
Why do we get wrapped up in the rat race.
Perfect timing for me as well. I’m about to teach a class at the studio where I have been working on a mentorship with an amazing teacher (so blessed). This class will complete my mentorship requirements and simultaneously introduce Subtle Yoga Inspired Slow Flow to this community. Im so excited to offer the class and this Blog Post is just what I needed to write the class description!