| As both a student and a teacher of yoga I've | | | | positive impact on their yoga practice and their life. |
| observed the tendency for students to develop an | | | | I've seen students disengage from a class if there is |
| affinity to a certain teacher's style and loyally follow | | | | a substitute teacher, or stop coming to yoga class |
| that teacher. As a student I have found several | | | | altogether if a favorite instructor is no longer |
| teachers over the years in which I found the | | | | teaching. I have to question this kind of response. It |
| guidance that I needed at the time and therefore | | | | suggests to me that some yoga students think there |
| attended their classes as often as I could. As a | | | | is a right or wrong way of teaching yoga, or that |
| teacher, it is a wonderful affirmation to develop | | | | there is only one way that they care to practice |
| relationships with students that enjoy your classes | | | | yoga. To my way of thinking, such viewpoints are |
| and attend regularly. This teacher loyalty may serve | | | | contrary to the philosophy of yoga. |
| the student by allowing them to progress down a | | | | There are so many styles and approaches to yoga |
| certain path or improve their practice of a specific | | | | and its teaching, and all of them have value. Perhaps |
| style of yoga. At some point, however, can teacher | | | | if a new teacher crosses your path there is |
| loyalty become limiting, like being stuck in a rut? | | | | something for you to learn from them. Try to let |
| There's a theory about students and teachers that | | | | your mind be open and consider that different is not |
| says a teacher receives the students that they are | | | | necessarily bad. |
| prepared to teach. By the same token, I think that | | | | It's possible that something that new teacher has to |
| students can benefit by being receptive to the | | | | offer is exactly what you need at the time. Maybe |
| teachers that come to them. That's not to say that | | | | you have a recent injury or medical condition, and |
| to be a good yogi every student must love every | | | | this new teacher introduces you to a new pose, or |
| teacher from whom they take a class. I've certainly | | | | mentions the benefits of a familiar pose, that can |
| had the experience of finding teachers that did not | | | | alleviate your pain. Maybe you've been under a lot of |
| resonate with me for one reason or another. I've | | | | stress in recent weeks, and although your usual |
| also found that if I allow myself to accept that | | | | practice with your favorite teacher is quite |
| teacher, despite whatever aspect of their teaching | | | | fast-paced and challenging, the substitute has a |
| style or personality that I find challenging, I learn | | | | gentler style which allows you to find some much |
| something from them. | | | | needed relaxation. As the song goes, "You can't |
| It's important to remember that each yoga instructor | | | | always get what you want, but if you try |
| brings different influences to their teaching. They | | | | sometimes, you just might find, you get what you |
| may follow different schools of yoga or focus on | | | | need." |
| different aspects of the broad and diverse practice | | | | I'm not asking that you break up with your favorite |
| of yoga. Experimenting with different teachers may | | | | yoga teacher, but give yourself the opportunity to |
| expand a student's yogic horizon and introduce them | | | | consider that another teacher may also have |
| to a new pose, practice or approach that will have a | | | | something to offer you. |