Yoga Instructor Certification?

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Originally Posted by withm

On the other hand, another class I attended, the instructor prefaced every corrective move with "may I touch you?" to the point of total distraction for the rest of the class. It's one thing to be "touched" as in gently guided into the "correct" posture, but another thing to have your arm forcefully maneuvered after being told "NO" when the range of motion was not there to support the movement.

I've not seen the other videos - I just found that article today when searching for the link for the first. I thought it presented another side of the story quite well, and it simply confirmed my own dislike for the "mumbo-jumbo" side of yoga.

Food for thought.

When I used to teach scuba diving, we stressed for each class the likelihood of being touched, held, or otherwise assisted while gearing up, entering and exiting the water, both in the pool, and in open water. Certain drills and activities require a degree of trust and the need to be touched. We strongly urged students that had a problem with this should not take the class, and in the all the years I was involved with this, only one student dropped the class and got a refund. Basically scuba diving is a contact sport and any kind of pre or post dive assistance, or in-water rescue requires touching and saves lives.

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I understand your lack of appeal for the spiritual and mental aspects of yoga, but do you have to refer to it as "mumbo jumbo"? It seems to me that even if you don't practice yoga in that way, you can at least respect that many, many others have and do; there's no need to belittle it.

As for yoga being very "yuppy." I don't wholly disagree with you, Badger, but it does cost money to maintain a studio with good instruction. That, however, is by no means the only way to practice yoga. It's very possible to build a home physical and/or spiritual practice. Most of the studios in Indy do offer cheaper or contribute-what-you-can classes, which is an affordable option for many.

I don't agree with body adjustments by one person onto another person, that are done in yoga. I just like the independent self-directed exercises that the yoga instructor leads the student(s).

Otherwise it can be potentially dangerous /risky, ie. to loosen another person's back, adjust hips, etc.

This year, I signed up for a yoga class at work during lunch where I only made it to 3 sessions out of the 8 classes..due to meetings, vacation. Pathetic. Cost was $40.00 for all 8 classes.

I like instructors who are relaxed, care about body pose alignment only from the standpoint of safety, injury-prevention and they are open to beginners. I don't mind the music and relaxation exercises, with deep breathing at beginning and end. It helps later on ...in life.

Yes, there are different schools of yoga.

I know what you mean badger, ...yoga used to be viewed as far-out, wierd Eastern stuff. It certainly is an exercise for some women who don't want mud and rain flung into their face/body/hair. :p If it works for them, fitness wise...great. There's the odd woman here and there, after all, who want to look lovely no matter how hard they are exercising.

I'm such a lout, I come in with my T-shirt and tights or lycra shorts for yoga. I don't even have a tight sleeveless tank top for exercising purposes. :rolleyes:

The classes in VAncovuer, I've taken were via the local school board through their adult evening classes.

Bikram yoga is like a fashion show these days. Even guys are wearing lululemon this and that.

Unless things have changed, luluemom is headquartered in Vancouver. costly stuff. I was amazed...

I stopped going to yoga classes at my gym over the instructor adjustment issue. I told the instructor before class I may modify poses due to a 3 cm leg length discrepancy, and that I did not want to be touched or adjusted by her. Sure enough she comes over to me in class and pushes my hip in a way that left me in pain for days. Never went back.

While I do yoga at home now, I took classes for 3-4 years at my old health club and then did a summer class at a studio for 10 weeks (yoga and meditation).
The instructors at the club were all certified (mostly Kripalu) and only one wanted to actually make a physical correction (she asked). The others would stand by you and verbally talk you through corrections, although I think they did touch some people. But, nothing that I would consider to be manipulation.
When I was a group fitness instructor, I was taught to always ask if I could physically correct someone, although I rarely had to, because usually I could talk them through changing their incorrect body position. Some people never changed their bad habits and I didn't harass them. For some reason, some people either don't want to hear you, or they really can't do what you are asking.
When I started yoga, I didn't like the spiritual aspect at all. When I relaxed a little, I enjoyed it, even though I am not a particularly spiritual person. When instructors start getting "too" spiritual, though by talking up their specific view points, almost to the point of therapy, I don't like it. Yogais a system of psychotherapy, dating back thousands of years. What we practice in the US is only the tip of the iceberg. The average instructor is not qualified to use yoga this way.
I am currently doing research on the neuro-chemical effects yoga has on anxiety. There's some cutting edge stuff being done at BU, showing that yoga increases the production of chemical neurotransmitters (GABA) that decreases anxiety, in much the same way physical exercise does. This stuff is real, but, again it's not what you do at a studio or gym. This is one reason why I am considering yoga certification, to eventually build a practice that combines psychotherapy and yoga (controversial, but quite common around here).

I don't get "fashion show." I like to look decent in class, I like to wear pretty things, but honestly, yoga is more like spinning - worse, because there's no big fan. It's just sweat drip, drip, dripping off the end of my nose in Warrior III, pouring down my shoulders and armpits in arm balances, puddling up anywhere I'm beyond the edge of my mat. How attractive is that really? :p

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

I don't agree with body adjustments by one person onto another person, that are done in yoga. I just like the independent self-directed exercises that the yoga instructor leads the student(s).

Otherwise it can be potentially dangerous /risky, ie. to loosen another person's back, adjust hips, etc.

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Well, if the student is not doing an asana correctly, and doesn't know it, she can also injure herself. Letting a student continue doing, or in many cases overdoing, a certain pose incorrectly could potentially be more dangerous than an adjustment by a well trained teacher.

I never had a problem with being adjusted in yoga class, and being adjusted ran the gamut from verbal to being put more fully in a posture by having a teacher use most of her weight to get me into a deeper place. I was never injured from an adjustment. I did have some injuries from going too far on my own, or doing something incorrectly over time, and not being corrected.

A good teacher will introduce herself to new students, and ask if the person has any physical ailments, and will offer to give modifications if necessary. If she doesn't, you should make sure you let her know your limitations.

It is interesting to read of different experiences. I am looking forward to the first class tonight to see what I think of it. I cannot find anyone who has taken any of her classes, and it is the only "beginners" class offered by my club. I will tell her about my knee concern, and also about my tight hip flexors and tight hip capsule in case that matters.

On a related note, lateral movement is getting easier, though I still feel it in the tight hip - that is only to be expected. At first I was quite unstable with any lateral movement :eek: but that has greatly improved :D