Theme-ing, let me Jump Start you.....

Hey Yogis!

 I’ve been thinking up this concept for a little while. I feel like as teachers we have those days that inspiration is a little low, or we don’t have time to track information down. That is what this is for: beginner “theme-ers”, those that are lacking time, or inspiration. I would print these pages so you can add to my subtitles.     As with all “theme-ing”, I would not use these quotes, stories, etc. all in one class. Over “theme-ing” can happen very easily! At the same time don’t bookend your classes with your theme. Try to weave them throughout the class. This is not the end all be all. Every teacher finds a system that works for them. This is my system. I use a notebook. Opening the notebook, on the right side I write out my class, on the left side I write out my notes on quotes, stories, or community building ideas that I could tie in to class. Then I usually write numbers next to each quote, story, etc. with a matching number on the right to show where I’m going to say what during class.     So if I took the first quote from Quiet/Listening- I would write “Your mind will answer most questions, if you learn to relax and wait for the answer” on the left with a #1. On the write I would start my class with – child’s pose, cue ujjayi breath, cat/cows to start warm up, down dog, tip toe forward, standing forward fold, #1. This would signal me that when I get to the first standing forward fold I want to use that quote or paraphrase it “relax, be present, wait, and your mind will answer almost all questions.”     Hopefully this information below will help spark your creative juices and make your class building a little easier. Namaste! 

Quiet/Listening

“Your mind will answer most questions, if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.” -William Burroughs
“Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are.” -Chinese Proverb
“Make your stop doing list larger than your to do list” -Stephen Moegling
“Life is like yoga; the only way you can enjoy it is by relaxing into any position you happen to find yourself in.” -Jon Wakeham
“Meditation is surrender, do not force, demand, manipulate; just relax, breathe, sink” 
“The quieter you become the more you can hear.” -Ram Dass
“Yoga is the journey of the self through the self to the self” -Bhagavad Gita
“In the Asana the mind has to reach inside the body to find a quiet space until a point comes where perfect balance is built” -Geeta Iyengar
“To heal you must feel, deal with the root. Don’t rush the discomfort, be quiet, look in your mind and see the cravings, the excuses. Let the real cause surface. Then let it go.” 
“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing the monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” -C.S. Lewis
“When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing - just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, or waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?”-Ralph Marston
“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. “ -William Penn
“Silent and listen are spelled with the same letters. Both are important and we don’t do either. The ego is too large to hear. “-Anonymous
“The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.” -Stephen R. Covey

Books/Articles:
7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen Covey: Read the chapter on Empathetic Listening

Pranayama: 
Dirga (or Deerga) Swasam Pranayama/ three-part breathing or a soft Ujjayi breath.

Listening Meditation- how far out can you hear? 
Ask your students to close their eyes and hear. To listen for the furthest sounds from where they are. What do they hear outside the room, outside the building? Pause. 
Then ask what they hear directly outside the building/room /window? Pause. 
What do they hear in the room? Clock? A/C? Music? Neighbor’s breathing? Pause. 
What do they hear in their body? Their breathing? Their heartbeat? Hold steady to that.

Music Suggestions: 
play with a silent track (Atlas Fret has one) in your playlist to plan impactful moments of quiet in class.

Asana Tips: 
practice with the eyes closed, feel the mat, the floor under the mat. Use your other senses to feel the external, then turn your attention inward, to your heart beat and your breath. Consider moon salutations as they are more grounded and slower paced.
Contentment/Santosha

I'll post a few more segments like this throughout the month. :) Enjoy!