In the last couple of weeks, I've been asking myself this question after watching some things happen in the name of Yoga. I hear a lot of statements being made about how Yoga is deeper than a physical practice but how many of us teachers have explored or rather, are exploring this depth in ourselves?
I mean, it's really nice, to say things like, "Ground yourself", "Go deep within" in class, but how often have we teachers looked deep inside ourselves and sought to ground ourselves in the principles of the practice?
It may seem as though yoga teachers are pretty 'sorted' themselves but I have to say it isin't always so. We, too, battle our 'human' emotions, sometimes with awareness and humility and sometimes with denial.
I recently encountered a teacher having or rather throwing a tantrum at the studio that I teach, over why a 'popular' time slot had been given to a new teacher who had just joined the studio instead of her. In her own eyes, she considers herself to be a 'senior' teacher who deserves priority over 'less experienced and knowledgeable' teachers (an obvious dig at the poor new entrant, who quite honestly, displays more maturity than the so-called senior ones!). As I heard this teacher going on and on about how some of the other teachers there really don't deserve to be there (as per her own lofty standards of evaluation) I began to think if this person, had any idea of how far her insecurity and greed for more had brought her. I wondered to myself if her envy at the gain of another was really invisible to her. And I'd really like to believe that it might be so for her sake! But this event started a dialogue within me about whether we teachers deserve an 'elevated' status (pun intended) that some students so generally give us sometimes. Are we teachers watching our thoughts, emotions and behaviour? Is preaching about Love, Peace and Yoga enough to establish ourselves as 'endorsers' of the practice? I'd like to think not. Simply because Yoga is a way to be and who we really are is reflected everyday in what we choose to do.
Let's take the example of this same teacher that I referred to earlier. When someone in her position who takes great pride in her 'accomplishments', 'experience' and 'certifications', starts to display her weaknesses so brazenly I start to wonder if at any point in their 'vast' experience, they have ever contemplated on the meaning of one of the less talked about Yamas -- 'Asteya' (Non-covetousness). The principle of Asteya reminds us to not seek what doesn't belong to us, and that could be a time slot, a material object, or even credit that is due to another. The practice of this very important Yama enables us to become more grounded, more accepting, more content with what Life has brought us, establishing a strong character that is not swayed by what we gain or lose (perceivably). Now, being content doesn't mean being satisfied. We can always work for more while being content in the present moment. Infact, what we have been given can always serve as an impetus to work harder, deliver more, seek more, if that is what we desire but the important question we need to ask ourselves is how far will I go to obtain what I want ? Am I willing to step on others or employ any means required to obtain it ? Am I willing to conveniently ignore the greater truths that I espouse in class so generously but find hard to apply in my own life? And the most important question of all: What has the practice of Yoga taught me? In the answer to this question alone can one find what the practice of Yoga has come to mean to us. So, if the practice is only about twisting oneself into a variety of poses, you might be exhibiting a great deal of flexibility on the mat, but none of it! Let alone inculcating or teaching the principles of self-acceptance and surrender, all of which contribute to building a stable personality.
It is very common today to see teachers counting how many students come to a fellow teacher's class, calculating the money generated, and then conveniently going up to the owner of the studio and shamelessly asking them to give them those slots. I know it may seem unbelievable but it is true. If a teacher's experience has earned them the title of 'Senior', then its a good time for them to reflect on whether those 'years' have brought them the maturity as well as the sense of responsibility that comes with being a senior teacher!
It also reveals to us another important thing: that most yoga teachers are just human beings and not necessarily 'elevated' ones. They possess the same weaknesses that someone in another profession would: insecurity about the future, greed for more, fear of losing what one has, etc etc. However, what does come with the 'title' of a yoga teacher is the expectation that one displays better control over their thoughts, emotions and actions. One also expects a yoga teacher to display balanced behaviour which comes from having a stable mind and stable emotions. And this is accomplished largely by employing the principles of Yoga (Yamas & Niyamas) and not necessarily by gaining mastery over a few asanas. Perhaps this is why Yoga was considered to be a science and a philosophy that brings about true transformation in an individual.
I think its a good time for us teachers to look within and ask ourselves if we have truly understood the meaning of the practice of Yoga and how much of it we choose to display in our everyday lives. And especially when we are faced with a setback or a challenge -- a time when we need to display the practice the most! At that moment does our practice manifest in our thoughts and actions?
As Swami Veda Bharati, a very well known saint in India says, "Just because you have a certificate, doesn't mean you are a teacher!" Amen to that!
