Saddle Road Ketchum

Choosing a Yoga Teacher

By Theresa Elliott

Director of Taj Yoga, Co-Director of Pacific Yoga Teacher Training

Copyright July 2008

Yoga has exploded in Seattle as in much of the country. For every coffee stand, there is at least one yoga studio lurking nearby. With so many places offering yoga, how do you decide who would be the best teacher for you?  I have encountered many individuals whose primary consideration is location.  This makes sense as yoga is ubiquitous. Why not just walk down to the neighborhood gym and pick up a class?  Yoga is different than a typical exercise class, and the potential for stress and strain is far beyond what you could do to yourself in aerobics at the gym. As yoga has proliferated, so have yoga injuries Part of the intrigue is also what makes it risky: Increased flexibility is helpful for everyday living, and the ability to stretch can produce breathtaking forms. However, uncontrolled flexibility can result in muscle strains—or worse. For example, overstretched ligaments result in the destabilization of the structure, such as a knee joint.  Common yoga injuries include hamstring pulls, sacroiliac dysfunction, rotator cuff injuries, strained lumbar vertebra, and medial collateral/lateral collateral ligament damage in the knees. Alignment is crucial in posture work, as is an understanding of how to stabilize joints through strength while muscles are being stretched. It is time well spent to do some research on a potential teacher and include factors besides location.  Cost is also a consideration. Why pay extra at the yoga studio when you can get it free at the gym? The subject of how and what we value is a complex question in itself. So, I simply say, is anything free? Hidden costs are not always clear, and somehow, someway, someone is paying for that “free” class.  The following items are usually listed in a teacher’s bio and are a good place to start the winnowing process. Is he or she certified? By whom? How long has she been teaching? How old is he? This last question is an important factor that is often over looked.  When friends ask me about starting yoga classes, I recommend they look for a teacher within 10 years of their age. This recommendation is especially applicable if you are over 40. A teacher in your age bracket will understand what happens to the body as it matures and how this relates to the art of practicing yoga postures. Of course, there are highly qualified young teachers, “old souls,” as it were, especially those who come to teaching from other health care professions, such as massage therapy. These individuals are able to bridge the age gap through empathy.  At some point you make your best judgment and take a class. I do not recommend observing a class. You need to be in it, feeling and experiencing it with your body, because your research isn’t done yet. Below are some thoughts to consider once your are in class.  * Good teachers will be able to adapt the work to you when necessary. If they stick to a regime and cannot or will not modify postures, it's a good sign you should not go back.  * A sense of humor is a must. Really serious tends to goes with really rigid, and that's a really good reason to exit.   *In cross-cultural arts, your common sense is still valid. People are people, no matter what continent you are on. If you think something is weird or fishy, it probably is. 

* Can you understand what your teacher is saying? With a component in spirituality, some teachers will use yoga jargon or “buzz” words that may leave you wondering what planet you are on. A competent teacher should be willing to define terms, and do so graciously.

* Look at the other students in the class. Who does this teacher attract? It will help you understand who this teacher likes to work with and how qualified they are.

* The following saying illustrates the next point: Give a man a fish and he can feed himself for a day. Teach a man to fish and he can feed himself for life.  Teachers who practice the poses at the same time you do are, in essence, taking class themselves and not watching you. Without an eye on students, they cannot make adjustments to your alignment or teach good form. Look for someone who offers more than a “follow-the-leader” aerobics format. Think of your teacher as a coach.  Yoga is traditionally a solo art and developing a home practice is one of the aims. Ask yourself: Am I being given the tools to begin a practice on my own?  Am I engaged intellectually and theoretically so I could start to build a home practice? If you can answer yes to these questions, you are on the right track.  Finally, for those of you who like to fine tune here’s a parting thought. When you study and learn from another person, you are subtly taking on their ideas and values. Sometimes what is taught “between the lines,” often through nonverbal cues, goes in under our conscious radar. We begin to think like our teacher and may not realize it. So, the question is, is your teacher someone you admire?  Someone you trust? Do you want that person in your psyche?  Yoga can be a deeply rewarding endeavor. The yoga practitioner has the opportunity to work with both body and mind. It’s worth the time investment you make to locate a qualified teacher and ensure a safe journey.

Join Theresa for a workshop on "Skill in Vinyasa".  Saturday, February 11 from noon-5:00pm (with a break).  This event will be held in the Zenergy Yoga Studio.

WORKSHOP RATE: $115

Contact Yvette at 208-725-0595x141 or via email at yhubbard@thunderspring.com to reserve your spot today.

“SKI TO LIVE  - UNIQUE MINDSET SKI AND SNOWBOARD CLINIC COMING TO SUN VALLEY                                 

 Are you interested in being the best person and best snow sport athlete you can be? Is there something holding you back?  There is a unique ski and snowboard clinic designed for you, and its coming to Sun Valley, Idaho in March.

 Ski To Live, a unique and empowering ski program led by Kristen Ulmer, renowned extreme skier and evolutionary mindset sports coach, will be held in Sun Valley on March 8-10, 2012, hosted by Zenergy Health Club & Spa and the Sun Valley Wellness Institute.   Ski To Live has gained national and international attention for being the only clinic of its kind in the world, in any sport, and 95% of Ulmer’s clients say that Ski To Live is one of the most significant experiences of their lives. 

 Ski to Live is for skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers of intermediate to pro ability levels, men and women, ages 12 and up.  During the three day clinic participants will:

· Explore their unconscious mind and get unstuck from old patterns that don’t serve anymore

· Experience true freedom in these sports as never felt before

· Find a better relationship with fear

· Explore motivations and see if new ones might work better

· Have a lot of fun with new like minded and powerful friends

 “We are thrilled to bring Kristen and her Ski To Live program to Sun Valley, remarked Kerry Samudio, Assistant Manager & Marketing Director of Zenergy Health Club & Spa at Thunder Springs.   “She has offered this clinic at only a few other ski resorts and she is very excited to come here this year and share her transformational program with locals and visitors.”  Samudio said that sponsoring Ski To Live in partnership with the Sun Valley Wellness Institute, which is working to create & promote wellness-related programs and events year-round, was also a natural fit.

 Space is limited, $575 early bird clinic rate, expires Jan 1, 2012.   After January 1, clinic rate is $625.  To reserve a spot, call Zenergy at 208.725.0595 x141 or email Yvette at yhubbard@thunderspring.com.   Sun Valley Resort is offering a Stay & Ski Free Package for $139 per person, based on double occupancy.  For lodging/ski package reservations call 208.622.4111 or www.sunvalley.com

 To learn more: www.zenergyatthunderspring.com/events.htm   and    www.kristenulmer.com 

About Kristen Ulmer:

Kristen Ulmer is an American pioneer of the Extreme Sports revolution. Starting as a mogul skier on the US Ski Team, she quickly decided to pursue a career jumping off cliffs for cameras and skiing you-fall-you-die ski descents around the world. Subsequently, for a run of 12 years, Kristen was voted and named the best big mountain (extreme) and often overall woman skier in the world by the media and her industry peers, beating even Olympic Gold medalists. That’s all behind her now. Kristen quit everything in 2003 in a sudden 180 degree turn to start a new and unique trend in sports mindset training, introducing mental and Zen aspects to winter sports in a clinic called Ski To Live. To create these clinics, Kristen partnered with world famous Zen Master Genpo Roshi who in 1999 started developing Big Mind—a modern way to facilitate 30 years of wisdom training and transcendental states of being to a student in mere hours.   In 2008 Roshi encouraged Kristen to facilitate the clinics herself. Today, she continues looking for and developing numerous ways to tie ancient and other wisdom into not only skiing, but into adventure, sports, business and personal lives.  Featured for her work in The New YorkTimes, USA Today, Forbes, Outside, SKI,Skiing and more.