13 Things - My Take

I came across a link to this article: 13 Things Your Yoga Teacher Won't Tell You, and wanted to give my take on their list.

1. I don't have all the answers - That should be obvious, but I certainly say it enough times in case it's not. All I can share is my training and my experience and only you can determine if something in that works for you.
2. Clean your mat - Always a good idea, but I don't tell my students to do this. I do tell them that I clean the mats in my studio between each use and clean my own mat weekly.
3. I love teaching yoga, but teaching is torture if I haven’t been able to do my own practice in awhile - Just not true for me. I always have some type of practice going on and Yoga always feels great.
4. Yoga is not a magic bullet or a pill you can take to solve your bad attitude if you’re not prepared to put in the work yourself - Okay, I probably wouldn't ever say that. It's true, but I also don't find students who feel this way are who I generally encounter.
5. Wear deodorant - I would definitely never say this. I have yet to have someone in my class that smelled bad, like BO bad. I have had a few with excess fragrance smells (from lotion or other products). And I would certainly never tell someone to wear deodorant since I don't (now one of my dirty little secrets is out).
6. I may be smiling at you when you walk in late and loudly slam your mat on the floor next to your meditating classmates but that doesn’t mean I approve - Again, these just don't seem to be the students I have. When someone comes in late, they do it quietly and apologetically. And I am just happy they made the time to come.
7. I am not doing this for the money - I definitely don't do this for the money, I do it for the opportunity to share Yoga with others. But I also make my living at it, so I'm grateful for what my students are able to offer.
8. I have poses I dread and avoid practicing and teaching - I don't know about dread. I do have my less favorite poses, usually ones that trigger tension somewhere in my body. And I probably do teach them a little less, but since they tend to be advanced poses that makes sense for my classes.
9. I hate yoga sometimes - Never, absolutely never!
10. When people have matchy-matchy yoga outfits and every single prop, designer yoga mat and accessory on the market, I question what their practice is really about - Wow, that would seem judgemental of me! Some people like the clothes, some people like the props. And if that makes them more excited about Yoga, I say "why not?" I don't think I can assess what someone's practice is really about by looking at anything external, whether it is their clothes, mat or poses.
11. It’s one thing to modify a posture if you’re having trouble with it. But don’t just ignore the teacher and freestyle your way through class - It might be a bit weird for the other students if this were happening. But generally if a student is doing a different pose than the rest, they've either discussed it with me or they let me know why at the time. And since it is their practice, they need to do what is right for them.
12. I am not a doctor - This I say all the time. I am not a doctor or a physical therapist. I am not a spiritual adviser. Just like #1, all I can share are my experiences and what has worked for me and then it's up to you to figure out where you go from there.
13. Yoga is HARD - Yes, I say it, but not too often. Yoga is hard, but that isn't necessarily what I want my students to focus on.