The definitive guide to effective and appropriate communication through words and touch between yoga teachers and their students.
Clear, effective verbal communication and judicious touch are two skills that Judith Hanson Lasater feels are essential for every yoga teacher. In Teaching Yoga with Intention, she gives pointed advice on how to interact verbally with students in class and how to appropriately use touch to make corrections. Drawing from her fifty years of yoga experience and her training in Nonviolent Communication, Lasater trains yoga teachers to effectively communicate not only technique, but also the more subtle lessons of respect, empathy, and compassion. She also shines an unflinching light on the use of touch in yoga. Teachers often use touch to create understanding and awareness in the poses. But this is a subtle art, and Lasater gives clear guidance on how, where, and when the use of touch can be used appropriately to further a student's development.
In this book, Lasater also empowers students by encouraging them to take ownership of and responsibility for their practice. She covers myriad topics that can be difficult for students at any level to navigate, such as how and when to say "no" to an adjustment; keeping boundaries; when to leave a class; helping your teacher understand your needs; how to communicate your appreciation to your yoga teacher; and if and when to report a teacher's behavior. The skills that Lasater offers help create a safe environment for students to "own" their learning process, and to progress technically at their own speed.
Author(s): Hanson Lasater, Judith
Publisher: Shambhala
Year: 2021
Language: English
Commentary: The definitive guide to effective and appropriate communication through words and touch between yoga teachers and their students.
Pages: 136
Tags: The definitive guide, effective and appropriate communication through words and touch between yoga teachers and their students.
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Why I Wrote This Book
PART ONE: To Be a Teacher Is to Be a Communicator
Introduction
Speaking in a Yoga Class
Basic Premises of Nonviolent Communication
Learning to Hear No
Encouragement, Not Authority
The Importance of Mutuality
Everyone Has Autonomy
Empathy before Education
Listen with Your Heart, Speak from Your Wisdom
Trust Yourself First
Important Points to Remember from Part One
Creating the Habit of Empathy: Practical Exercises
PART Two: The Use of Touch in Yoga: When, Where and How
Introduction
Why Touch Can Help Students in a Yoga Class
Asking Permission to Touch and Why It Matters
When to Touch, When Not To
How to Touch Your Students in Yoga Class
General Guidelines for Using Touch during Yoga Class
PART THREE: Specific Techniques for Using Touch in a Yoga Class
Introduction
Touching the Student When They Are Lying Down
The Head and Neck
The Shoulders
The Upper Arm
The Forearm, Wrist, and Hand
The Calf, Ankle, and Foot
Touching the Student When They Are Standing
The Pelvis
The Abdomen
The Thighs
The Teacher’s Body Position When Touching Students
Important Points to Remember from Part Three
PART FOUR: Becoming an Educated Student
Introduction
Becoming an Educated Student
Boundaries in a Yoga Class: Physical, Emotional, and Mental
The Primary Job of a Yoga Teacher
When Your Boundaries Are Crossed in a Yoga Class
Help Your Teacher Help You
Choosing Your Yoga Teacher
Important Points to Remember from Part Four
Epilogue: A Last Word for Teachers—Letting Go of Your Students
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