tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post1814481312457957242..comments2023-11-28T14:12:34.789+11:00Comments on The Itinerant Yogini: Yoga for SoldiersYogini Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00787351711548823249noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-2275451494804036732010-08-11T06:20:40.204+10:002010-08-11T06:20:40.204+10:00Great post. I’m so glad you posted something on ch...Great post. I’m so glad you posted something on chaturanga. Leeann Carey, an amazing yoga teacher, says that it is one of the best strength poses, which is probably why it is easier for the soldiers. She has a free yoga video on this that I think your readers might like: http://planetyoga.com/yoga-blogs/index.php/chaturanga-dandasana-four-limbed-staff-pose/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-21150362681191530402010-05-01T17:24:33.164+10:002010-05-01T17:24:33.164+10:00@Sara - my soldiers loooooove Savasana. I think t...@Sara - my soldiers loooooove Savasana. I think the relaxation is the highlight for them.<br /><br />I've never done restorative without props! It's always seemed to be the motivating factor for me, i.e., if I can hold this pose for 3 minutes I get to lie on this soft pillow... :DYogini Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787351711548823249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-46186474793294343222010-04-30T23:48:03.081+10:002010-04-30T23:48:03.081+10:00My Yin Yoga class is the one where all the men are...My Yin Yoga class is the one where all the men are. Mostly they are part of a duo (their wives found the class and brought them to it) but some have begun to attend on their own when their wives cannot make it. <br /><br />I think they enjoy the challenge of the stretch and the meditative aspect in Yin. The fellows who come to my class are as you described: athletic and stiff. But if they can hold a pose for 3-5 minutes and breathe the whole time, they leave class feeling tons better.<br /><br />I do have lots of props to work with so I am able modify poses to suit the bodies but even without props I think most people can do Yin.<br /><br />Thanks for your great post. It is fun to read about other teacher's classes.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05922116308319001543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-7998068444269111512010-04-30T10:15:27.498+10:002010-04-30T10:15:27.498+10:00@ Svasti - the blogosphere, and our blog community...@ Svasti - the blogosphere, and our blog community, is a GREAT resource for expanding your teaching!<br /><br />@Emma - Isn't it amazing how something that I take so for granted is so challenging to some? It's glorious how differently we are all made. I had a lady once who had real trouble with child's pose until we rolled up a blanket and placed it underneath her between her legs... Then, she found bliss! ;)Yogini Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787351711548823249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-30152537938021217692010-04-30T07:58:23.301+10:002010-04-30T07:58:23.301+10:00i teach to a dude who cant go into child's pos...i teach to a dude who cant go into child's pose. im still thinking out a similar alternative..Emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11201118295945904801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-65532745522242652942010-04-28T15:36:51.251+10:002010-04-28T15:36:51.251+10:00Hey, thanks so much for linking to my post! I'...Hey, thanks so much for linking to my post! I'm still very new to yoga teaching, and I'm just sorting out my first classes, so all of this stuff is very useful to me. Namaste! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-69103840881883945752010-04-28T13:25:13.206+10:002010-04-28T13:25:13.206+10:00Thanks for stopping by, everyone!
@Rachel - It...Thanks for stopping by, everyone!<br /><br />@Rachel - It's so important to learn from ourselves first and foremost! That story about your student literally picking you up though - made me laugh out loud! But yes, many of the buff guys I've taught have similar flexibility issues and as they get older they become much more prone to injury. Good for them for doing something about it!<br /><br />@Tiffany - it was the pilots who started it all. They spread the word, then some of the soldiers asked me to come teach. Fairly small numbers but when they get hooked, they really get hooked. It's so great.<br /><br />@Alex- thanks for stopping by! I think men tend to be naturally more goal-oriented when it comes to a physical practice. So the initial lure of improving that golf game or breathing easier during a long run is what often motivates guys to come to yoga. Also, two words: Kathryn Budig. In the respectful, artistic sense of her being able to do amazing strength poses, while naked. :D :D <br /><br />@Babs - go gender balance!! I think it's such a healthy atmosphere to have a balanced class, and it allows for a little more fun and play. When the girls see the guys trying some tough poses they might just give it a go, but they'll feel better about themselves when they see how much more hip flexibility they have. Etc. I'm all about the yin-yang. :)<br /><br />@Dragonfly - It is great to be able to tailor a class just to these guys. I find the hardest thing is to make sure they don't injure themselves trying to compete with one another! As to your home practice, it's wonderful that you have found a restorative, nourishing practice. I wish I had access to more props for relaxation poses for my troops, especially for back and shoulder openers. They get such a kick out of savasana, imagine if they had pillows! At the moment we are practising in an open air space so it's a bit tricky (and there are ants...) but maybe I can improvise something...<br /><br />@Brenda - yay!! Bring in the boys. They add such a great dynamic to a class, and yes, the two sexes really do seem to balance each other out in a group setting. I have found adjusting them to be a real challenge since I am so tiny compared to them... guess that's another post!<br /><br />@Heather - Welcome back!! We've missed you! Yoga for teens sounds fascinating... did you take a training for it or does it just come naturally?<br /><br />@Jamie - Now go find a big buff boy and try it out! LOLYogini Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787351711548823249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-75298171556254998162010-04-28T11:51:07.183+10:002010-04-28T11:51:07.183+10:00AWESOME post...thanks so much for letting us learn...AWESOME post...thanks so much for letting us learn with you : )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-20289294577855897192010-04-28T09:05:03.791+10:002010-04-28T09:05:03.791+10:00What a great post with wonderful insights. I find...What a great post with wonderful insights. I find that teaching to college students is much the same way. Most of them are late teens (still in high school taking college classes) and early twenties. They enjoy the physical workout and challenge and def soak in the body awareness and relaxation ~ much needed! Isn't it wonderful being a teacher! We learn so much from them! Hope you are well. I've def missed your blog in my absence. It feels GREAT to be back!Namaste_Heatherhttp://namaste-heather.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-4780548554714255732010-04-28T07:10:27.895+10:002010-04-28T07:10:27.895+10:00What a great post. My evening classes have become...What a great post. My evening classes have become almost completely even gender-wise, and I have to constantly remember what inspires which group and how to phrase my prompts. But it's all good. I've made many of the discoveries as your other readers and it has made my understanding of the practice even broader.<br /><br />I enjoy the intensity these fellow tend to display, and I also enjoy the mellowness they pick up from my other students. Such a good mix! <br /><br />(and what a cool thing that you can introduce these soldiers to the practice)Brenda P.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15706976926804565629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-46886458734535919522010-04-28T06:27:50.546+10:002010-04-28T06:27:50.546+10:00How cool! I find that muscley man demographic a tr...How cool! I find that muscley man demographic a tricky one to work with in a mixed levels, mixed gender class i.e. all my classes! It must be such a joy to have a few of them all in one group. <br /><br />I find legs up the wall a great hamstring opener and lower back releaser for those types and then fish on a bolster for a back bend (oops but then that's a prop situation although I find you can improvise easily by rolling up a thickish gym mat). Anyway, I do this at the end, fish then wall, with guided relaxation then straight into a shorter savasana. It's nice for them to feel the opening in the chest and legs without locking into that teeth gritting, fight the body thing that comes so naturally to strong, athletic people.<br /><br />The body type I've learnt the most from has been... I'm not sure... they are all so fascinating and every time I think I've figured out a perfect formula for a specific type the universe hits me with an anomaly... every time, without fail... it's become my own little joke with the gods.<br /><br />My own body is a constant source of weirdness and discovery. I have scoliosis which is what brought me to yoga in the first place. Over-open hips that have become a wee bit arthritic since I started doing thai yoga massage or is it since i hit my thirties. <br /><br />Anyway, i've learnt a tremendous amount in the last year from my left shoulder which was injured in a fall and when I first started my biggest teacher was my then incredibly stiff hamstrings. I've had fibroids for 2 years (hereditary) and that's how i finally surrendered to yin and restorative yoga and finally 'getting it' in that department has been the hugest blessing in my practice and my teaching. <br /><br />Part of me still feels a bit weird as a 'yoga teacher' to see this 'litany of woes' all in one (online!) paragraph but I really do feel like each creak and crunch has been a wonderful gift.dragonflynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-34500284542449732412010-04-28T04:51:08.815+10:002010-04-28T04:51:08.815+10:00Teaching athletic and intense guys is another whol...Teaching athletic and intense guys is another whole world! I teach at a gym and lately, I have no idea why, I've been getting a lot of younger guys. I'm assuming that they are college football players here because they are HUGE! Sometimes I will have an all guy class and most of the time it is an even balance between men and women. It definitely creates a challenge to teaching. Keeping it athletically challenging enough for the big guys but mindful and calming enough for my older ladies. What I love the most is how yoga is bringing these two demographics together and they are both seeing the benefits. They keep coming back, right?! I am having so much fun with it and can't wait to introduce some side planks and arm balances. The most difficult part is when all the huge dudes line up in the front row...i can't see any of the other students!babshttp://babsbabble.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-69495021131243736322010-04-28T01:37:31.230+10:002010-04-28T01:37:31.230+10:00Thanks for this post. As a guy (though not a soldi...Thanks for this post. As a guy (though not a soldier), I went through a very similar process that you described, moving from the physical, then mental, and finally to the spiritual. I think your advice is good in general for helping men feel more comfortable in a yoga class. <br /><br />Many friends will ask me about the benefits of yoga, especially for preventing or easing injuries, improving golf game, etc. Emphasizing those benefits to guys is a great way to get them in the door to try it out. All the other benefits will sneak up on them eventually.Alexhttp://alexbarrett.posterous.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-14344384113623002162010-04-27T23:39:00.147+10:002010-04-27T23:39:00.147+10:00Wow, I love this post - thanks for letting us lea...Wow, I love this post - thanks for letting us learn a little bit from your experience. How do you get the soldiers in the door in the first place?Tiffany Hutchingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14284860922524182499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7820442653366529983.post-12964306652199804572010-04-27T19:21:07.296+10:002010-04-27T19:21:07.296+10:00My own bizarre twisted and spiralled body. It'...My own bizarre twisted and spiralled body. It's taught me more about teaching than any trainer has ever been able to.<br /><br />When I first started teaching I taught Astanga. I had a guy who was a body builder come to the beginner's class. When I asked him to bend down into uttanasana he literally reached the top of his thighs. I thought he was joking but his muscles were that tight. He was a challenge for sure. I have never met someone so inflexible. Having said that he once picked me up and raised held me above his head with no effort. I tried to explain the concept of balance to him (as well as appropriate student/teacher relationships ;))<br /><br />That's an amazing story, teaching soldiers is certainly and experience you'll take with you.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14723667016158831955noreply@blogger.com