More is Not Always Better

Today marks Day 11 of my month-long Yoga Teacher Training certification. With so much information – anatomy, philosophy, alignment, adjustments, sequencing, etc – every day is a densely-packed amalgam of more and more elements to learn.

I have been practicing on my friends and family outside of class, because with so much fun stuff floating around in my head, I just want to share it all! I want to use juicy, dynamic language, create amazing and inspiring sequences, give my students the best physical adjustments and verbal cues. I want to do it ALL!

Source: http://www.fabianpattberg.com/2010/01/important-for-sustainability-and-csr-keep-it-simple/

The other day I learned a very valuable and humbling lesson in my foray as a yoga teacher: more is not always better. My partner Andrew graciously volunteered to let me practice teaching a 15min beginner’s sequence on him. He worked so hard and I fumbled a few bits, so when he climbed into Savasana, I really wanted to treat him with something nice – a sweet shoulder adjustment. I’ve been practicing this on my classmates every day.

But I really wanted to give him the BEST adjustment possible. “How to do that?” I thought. I reasoned that the adjustment feels so good is because of the shoulder blade being pulled down the back. So I decided to give him MORE shoulder, so he could have a better adjustment. Not good. It was too much for his body and I tweaked a muscle in his shoulder/neck. Oops.

Feeling quite sheepish now, I have been volunteering my massage techniques (sweet and simple) to help him with his soreness. I’m glad I learned this little lesson now (sorry Andrew!) rather than with a student in class. I definitely have a better appreciation for the importance of keeping things simple and moderate. Next time I find myself thinking, “more would be better here,” I will definitely take a moment to remember that sometimes it just isn’t.

About the Author: amyh

Amy H has written 51 posts on this site.

Amy loves doing yoga, teaching yoga, learning about yoga and, of course, writing about yoga! She teaches Yin, Flow and Hatha in the lower mainland. When not teaching studio classes or taking sessions with other teachers, you'll find her nose in a book, preferably at the beach.

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