08: The Case for Teaching Without Demonstrating

Dec 4, 2017

When you teach yoga classes {group or private} how much are you demonstrating poses? If you have been hanging out in my world for a while you may know that I mostly advocate for a style of teaching that relies on language to convey important information, including subtle movements, instead of relying on the use of our body to teach.

Do I think demonstrating a physical concept is always bad? Of course not!

Are there sometimes totally valid reasons to use your own body, or another student's body, to clarify a movement concept. Absolutely!

I also think that teaching without demonstrating is an extremely important skill to cultivate and I want to tell you why!

In this episode I’ll cover:

• Some of the reasons, both conscious and unconscious, that teachers prefer to demonstrate when they teach asana.
• The many benefits for you and your students of teaching without demonstrating.
• Why teaching our students to connect language and movement is a worthwhile endeavor.
• Tools and practices to help you use your voice more often in your yoga teaching and your body less.
• In the spirit of Shades of Grey, some of the good reasons I see TO demonstrate or practice with our students.