“So, how was it?”
Nothing irks me more than coming up from savasana at the end of the yoga class and hearing the teacher at the front of the room say, “So, how was it?” Ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration; but, ugh does that phrase get under my skin. How often do you attend a new yoga class or a class you’ve been regularly attending that the teacher switched up a bit, and you hear them ask how it was at the end of class? Are you one of those students that feels obligated whether the teachers asks or not to comment on the class? Where does that stem from and why does it need to change?
Yoga is a very complex and sacred practice with many layers in which individuals can explore. But, what I learned the most in my trainings and teachings is that the guidance of the asana practice is an opportunity for the student. The class, the sequence, the cueing has nothing to do with the teacher’s performance of whether it was “good” or not. It has everything to do with providing space and safety for the student to explore their own body, mind, and breath. Is the purpose of guiding students to serve YOU or to serve THEM? If you answered the latter, absolutely correct! Yoga teaching is not meant to be self-serving. It is meant to provide support for students as they navigate the practice with their own needs and pace.
I’ve attended many yoga classes where I was the student cussing out the teacher in my head for the entirety of the class. I absolutely hated every cue, every posture, every sequence, and I literally wanted to run out of the room. But, did the class serve me? Did it teach me something? Did it assist me in some way to evolve and think outside of my little yoga teacher comfort zone? Absolutely! At the end of the class, the teacher looks directly at me and says, “So, how was it?” (Insert annoyance here). First of all, I’m still processing. Second of all, anything I said in that moment would either be false or hurtful.
As a yoga teacher, I invite you to explore your way of teaching. Are you in this line of work for the emotions and knowledge it brings you? Or are you in this work to merely be a guide for students and allow them to explore their own emotions and knowledge? Yoga isn’t meant for the teacher. It’s meant to serve the student. To guide the student. To allow the student a safe space to dive into the world of movement, breath, and challenge the mind in many ways. If you ask a student for feedback, I invite you not to do it after a class. I invite you to express the desire for feedback in other ways, through surveys or emails or casual conversation. Ask for feedback from other yoga teachers, completely eliminating the need for a student to boost your ego. I assure you, the student will likely not provide any constructive criticism in your teachings. Their feedback will either be “you poop rainbows, my love!” or the words they say will be hurtful, putting both parties in an awkward, unnecessary situation.
Here’s the thing, sometimes the yoga has to suck. Sometimes the classes you absolutely despise are the ones that provide incredible insight. Much like the postures you despise as a yoga student are the ones you need the most! Not all students are going to vibe with every single yoga teacher, and THAT’S OK! So long as, like the yoga student, you continue to have an open mind, grow, learn, and take constructive criticism from your peers, you’ll bloom! But, please, for the love of all things, stop asking your students “So, how was it?” at the end of any yoga class…. and students, don’t feel obligated to comment on class. The only thing that matters is that you stepped into the studio, unrolled your mat, and noticed what popped up along the way.
