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| I'm finding I'm having difficulties lately sticking to a format of only 55 minutes to a class (gym setting). As it is, people don't come to class on time, maybe 5 to 10 minutes late, so I'm challenged with having even less time for a complete class. By "complete" class I mean the following: introduction of theme, seated meditation/breathing awareness, warmup, standing poses incorporating backbends, twists and hip-openers, balance poses and/or inversions (there's never enough time to do both), finishing forward bends and twists, and finally savasana. Am I expecting too much here? I have different people every time, and usually at least one rank beginner who doesn't even know the basic shapes of the poses by name. The classes are labeled as "mixed level", so I try to offer exactly that, as well as a physical tie-in to my theme for the class. In talking to another teacher friend of mine, she suggested cutting out, or at least shortening that which isn't "necessary". I think this is the issue here, because in my eyes, it's all "necessary". Take out the standing poses and the body isn't open enough to go into the deeper poses (backbends, hip-openers). Take out the finishing poses (seated forward bends, twists) and the transition to savasana is too abrupt. Take out the theme, and it isn't even yoga anymore. As it is, I don't have any final meditation or pranayama. The chanting is limited to 3 oms at the beginning and 1 at the end. In my opinion, I'm teaching a bare-bones class already. Is the only option for me to stop teaching at facilities where there's only a 5 minute transition between the 55 minute classes? Sorry to be whining so much about this, but this situation is really starting to turn me off to teaching, and I really don't want to go there. Thanks, all.
Edited by OrangeMat 2008-03-15 10:33 AM
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| Unfortunately, I agree with your teacher friend and think what she means by cutting out what's not necessary is all the "stuff" folks generally don't want in a gym setting--that's specific time for a theme, meditation and asanas for everything. For emample, when it's time to start do it--forget latecomers. A couple of minutes for centering and synching breath then hit 'em with sun saluations A & B --in the 2nd A, throw in side plank on both sides. In B, add the warrior series. By then they'll be out of breath and sweaty and feel like they did something. THen possibly some triange then get 'em on the floor, work their abs., etc--5 minute savasana then adios. Possibly during tht you can weave it whatever philosophy you want to satisfy your own teacher needs. Unfortunately, I think that's the way it's gotta be in a mixed-level gym setting. |
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| Wow, Bruce, you really must've meant what you said, since you posted it 3 times!  My teacher friend has also advised me several times as well that I need to get out of the gym setting, because it just doesn't suit "me". Unfortunately, I'm not the type to go searching jobs out, they tend to fall into my lap, and so I'm trying very hard to find balance in the situations that are in my life at the moment. Be happy with what you have, as opposed to looking elsewhere for that happiness, that sort of thing. But I do agree with your point, as well as my friend's, that in a gym they want the meat and potatoes of it all, and that's what I should offer. Fine, I'm OK with that, but then what do I do when they all come in 10 minutes late? I'm now down to only 45 minutes, because there hasn't been a single person set foot in the room until that point. Yet for the classes that follow me, they're all chomping at the bit, opening the door, waiting to come in to set up early. It's a very odd situation, indeed. |
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| You just give a 45 minute routine then kiddo. As your settling them in for a 5 minute savasana, let 'em know what an amazing practice the'd have with an hour class. OM, take charge or face never-ending frustration. I auditioned at several gyms, Lifetime and Spectrum, but afterwards decided not to do it--I didn't want to be personal fitness trainer. I wanna be a yoga teacher. My current college classes are perfect--my show for 90 minutes--I had to actively seek that out--have to make my own luck I think. Even in these classes, I always have a few you think they're not "getting fit." I hurt them and harass them afterwards (OK, let's see a proper Warrior II then and hold it, enagae that core, breathe, sink lower that front leg is WAY off 90 degrees...") then they shut up. |
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| i had the same issue.
i just stuck to teaching standing poses and a little downward dog/sun salutation stuff at the beginning.
thats all that beginners really need anyways.
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| OM,
I'm curious about your training in Course Planning?
Did you learn that
"By "complete" class I mean the following: introduction of theme, seated meditation/breathing awareness, warmup, standing poses incorporating backbends, twists and hip-openers, balance poses and/or inversions (there's never enough time to do both), finishing forward bends and twists, and finally savasana." Is this the structure a class has to follow?
If so how does the idea of a theme work with this?
It would seem to me that if the theme were to come first then the next question would be - do all of these things (backbends, twist, hip-openers, etc.) serve the theme?
But I am quite sure that I do not know what you mean by theme? And I would wonder what comes first? The theme or the poses?
It seems to me that it might be worth spending some time with a senior teacher working on course planning. Not specifically planning a course - but working on a methodology so that given any parameters you would be able to develop an appropriate class based on the place, the time restrictions, the time of day and the needs of the students.
Best wishes.
Vic
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | My reply is more from the standpoint of the Group Fitness Coodinator at a gym than as a fellow yoga instructor (although as an instructor, I do sympathize).
The simple answer is that you absolutely have to finish w/i the time you are allotted (it's 55 minutes at my club too, with a 5 minute transition time between classes) and if you can't fit in everything that you want to include, then you have to choose what to leave out. If you feel that for whatever reason you're unable to do that, then yes, you need to teach in places where you don't have those restrictions.
One of the instructors at my club has repeatedly requested that her class be extended to 90 minutes because she just doesn't have the time that she needs. I understand, but as a manager I get a lot more mileage out of that 1/2 hour and am able to meet the needs of more members elsewhere, say in a 30 minute abs class. We operate w/i a budget and have to program classes to meet a wide variety of needs and interests.
If your members come 10 minutes late, they get a 45 minute class, especially if there is a class following yours. On a tight schedule w/only 5 minutes in between, running over even a little can throw the entire day off schedule. If yours is the last class of the day, I wouldn't have a problem w/you running over, but then you are giving the members the message that it is OK to be late and that you will cater to their lateness. I believe that the train leaves and pulls into the station on time.
The unfortunate answer is that, unless you're lucky enough to have one of the few 90 minutes classes, in the gym environment a yoga class will be more abbreviated than one in a yoga studio. |
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| OrangeMat, your classes sound amazing and awesome for those of us who have been through TTs, are experienced practitioners and/or want to continue to deepen our practice. What I'm saying is, I bet you're a great teacher, and it sounds like you've got good intentions.
What I discovered from teaching yoga for a year at a university gym was that you may have this complex, beautifully thought out (or even written down!) class routine, but absolutely nobody in there knows you "had" to leave out half-moon balance, you know? Unless you act rushed and disorganized, nobody knows! Maybe you meant to focus the class around the theme of "opening" but never really got there. In fact, I found that my best-received classes--the ones where participants came up to me afterward and shared how much they loved it, or how much I did for them--were the ones that, in my teacher-trained mind, felt most slapdash! Like, if I were teaching me, boy would I be annoyed that we didn't do those three rounds of "om" or didn't hold those double pigeons long enough! Usually the classes that I spent a long time planning around a theme ended up having less overall energy to them, probably because I was more self-conscious, or trying too hard to make everything fit around that intention. I'm guessing, like others have said, that since your students are in the gym setting they're not looking to be "wowed" by all the deepest nuances of yoga.
Good luck...I do understand the time-crunch, but as a self-professed Type A personality, I'm also restless and full of nervous energy and ready to move on after 45 min |
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| Firstly, I always start on time and therefore have not really had a problem with late students.
I teach each class with a bare-bones outline that can be shrunk or extended based on what is happening at that moment. If there are a lot of beginners, I know that I will be able to do fewer poses so I drop all the optional poses, but still stick to the basic outline. I almost always do breathing warmups with mountain, extended mountain and crescent moon, several sun salutations with side planks (maybe back plank), triangle, usually half moon (maybe revolved half moon, revolved triangle), warriors (I, II, III, Reversed, Extended side angle), intense side stretch, maybe some wide legged head to floor and twists, several balancing poses (usually two), squat (usually crane), cobra, half and/or full locust, bow, some abs poses (usually two), child's pose, maybe some forward bends and/or cobbler and/or pigeon, bridge (maybe camel) usually wheel for the more advanced and another bridge for beginners, lying bent knee stretch, lying spinal twist, lying extended leg, rock the baby (if I didn't do enough hip-openers) sitting twist, corpse with breathing (usually short inhale, long exhale), guided relaxation and several minutes silent corpse. This is a one hour class although I often run five minutes over. (It is not a problem because there is no class following immediately after.) As you can imagine, I don't waste any time talking or setting up poses. I talk only as we flow from pose to pose and hold the poses (usually about eight breaths). Any philosophy that I mention comes out of the poses and the experience at that moment. I am NOT teaching a philosophy class. I am teaching a asana class and sometimes philosophy is useful to better understanding the poses or the process (like talking about balance in one's life while doing balancing poses). I do not plan what I am going to say, but rather just react to what is happening. If everyone at a particular class is experienced, we can do all of these poses and sometimes more as we are either in a pose or moving to the next pose the entire time, so each and every moment is productive. The class is not rushed or hurried, but it does keep moving. If it becomes too intense for a student, they are encouraged to do child's pose until ready to continue.
Sometimes over the summer when a lot of people are on vacation, depending on class size (if there are only 10 students or less) and if none of them are new, we will really work on the poses, spending much more time on each pose and do only four or five poses for the main part of the class. Sometimes if I see most everyone doing something poorly, we stop and work on it. I just adjust the rest of the class accordingly.
I think teaching yoga is like playing jazz. The basic outline (warmup, standing poses, balancing, floor poses, cool down, relaxation) is the theme or melody, the details are the improvisation. My improvisation is new for each class depending on who I am improvising with (who the students are and how they are responding). I never know where a class will go until it actually happens because I am not making it happen, but rather just letting it flow through me. As a result, it is always creative and never boring. This is flow yoga and it is really cool! |
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| jimg - 2008-03-15 7:06 PM Firstly, I always start on time and therefore have not really had a problem with late students. Yes, but do you start teaching when the room is still empty, even though the clock says it's time to start? Literally there is no one in the room for at least 5-10 minutes of the start of class. It's utterly ridiculous sometimes. |
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| victw - 2008-03-15 2:25 PM But I am quite sure that I do not know what you mean by theme? And I would wonder what comes first? Vic, I aspire to teach Anusara style, where the theme is an integral part of the class. So to answer your question, I think I would honestly have to say that the theme does come first before the asana. That's why I made the statement in my first post that without a theme, it isn't really "yoga" as I know it. Also, your suggestion to study with a master teacher the topic of course planning as you described it is very well put. I'm actually signed up for just such a workshop with my Anusara teacher for next month. I've only been teaching since May of last year. I know I still have lots to learn, including organzing my ideas into a tight and concise package for beginner gym yoga students to be able to digest and enjoy.  |
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| libragirl - 2008-03-15 4:47 PM OrangeMat, your classes sound amazing and awesome for those of us who have been through TTs, are experienced practitioners and/or want to continue to deepen our practice. What I'm saying is, I bet you're a great teacher, and it sounds like you've got good intentions. libragirl, thank you. I think you've said to me what I really needed to hear (and in such a kind way, thank you!). No one really knows what's missing but me. And more importantly, whatever they get, it's more than enough, so I should stop trying so hard and sabotaging myself by going overtime in my classes. I'm way too ambitious, I agree. Thanks for pointing that out. |
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| jimg - 2008-03-15 7:06 PM I almost always do breathing warmups with mountain, extended mountain and crescent moon, several sun salutations with side planks (maybe back plank), triangle, usually half moon (maybe revolved half moon, revolved triangle), warriors (I, II, III, Reversed, Extended side angle), intense side stretch, maybe some wide legged head to floor and twists, several balancing poses (usually two), squat (usually crane), cobra, half and/or full locust, bow, some abs poses (usually two), child's pose, maybe some forward bends and/or cobbler and/or pigeon, bridge (maybe camel) usually wheel for the more advanced and another bridge for beginners, lying bent knee stretch, lying spinal twist, lying extended leg, rock the baby (if I didn't do enough hip-openers) sitting twist, corpse with breathing (usually short inhale, long exhale), guided relaxation and several minutes silent corpse. Honestly, I think your basic plan for your classes are even more ambitious! My students as a rule don't even get past the sun salutations. They can't do lunges, plank, barely downward facing dog. I've tried to eliminate the warmup part and making the standing sequences be the warmup as well (downward dog leading to lunges and warrior variations, etc.), and even that falls flat sometimes. This week I had to demo child's pose because a student didn't know it. My plan this past week was to lead up to camel. Half the group complained that the kneeling lunge w/quad stretch was too hard, and so we barely finished the class. I'm considering teaching completely from the mat for next week, practicing each pose as I verbally describe it. This is completely contrary to how I was taught to teach. But I'm at my wits' end here. I can't teach them sequences if they don't even know the rudimentary components. And if I'm not correcting their alignment in the most basic way, they're bound to hurt themselves. But I've got to try something else. Thanks for your response, as well as everyone else's. I continue to learn from everyone expertise, experience and insight here, and do appreciate all the feedback. |
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| i often teach in the 55 minute format with students coming late. what i do, is i plan a 35-40 minute sequence--as this is typically when we're ready to go. during the first 5-10 mintues while people are coming in and setting up, i ask for questions from last class, we catch up on people's "stuff" (kid's projects, their processes/interests, my pregnancy, whether or not we ate chips in the last 5 days, etc), and then about 5-10 minutes after class is supposed to start, i get rolling.
i do OM while standing in mountain with a brief quote or phrase focusing on a 'theme.' we do a warm up (forward bend, down dog, lunges, and cat stretches)--i have beginners in the "back row" and experienced students up front to be "models." i also "assign" a student to the newbie (they now assign themselves), and that person puts their mat close and offers tips and encouragement to the newbie (this is why everyone becomes friends in class).
i then teach it as if everyone knows what to do, and i give assists/instructions as i go around. experienced students know that i'm gonig to spend more time "playing" with the newbies, but they're happy. they crack jokes about it--like "stop playing with that newbie and give me a deep adjust!" they're so funny.
after warm up, if there are lots of newbies and they seem really clueless, we just take out sun sals or do half sun sals (reach up, fold forward, lift chest, fold down, sweep up). then, we move on to standing, balance, hip openers, back bends, and closing sequence.
i streamline each one.
standing/balance are usually this: warrior I, II, side angle, triangle, wide leg forward bend, parivritta anjenayasana, "standing split," and ardha chandrasana.
then we go to forward bend and do arm balances--i teach crow to newbies and everyone does that the first time we do arm balances, and the second time the experienced students get to 'do whatever' while the newbies practice crow (modified) and typically the experienced student "assigned" to the newbie will encourage and help the newbie by modelling AND offering their insights/processes. it's really great.
we then do the other side. this takes about 7-10 minutes per side for this sequence. hip openers are typically two postures--pidgeon and firelog or cowface--and then we do back bends. . .one each direction (on stomach, on knees on back) and if we have enough/more time, then two or three of each.
closing sequence is typically reclining and doing wind relieving and twists (at least) and if it's mostly experienced people, we'll do shoulderstand and plow before coming out to savasana.
we do savasana for about 3 minutes instead of 5--i foudn this is the minimum that one can do without getting shakes, so one needs at least that--and then in the last 2-3 minutes, we do pranayama (about 2 minutes or 9 "rounds" of whatever pranayama), and then our Om and prayer.
and that's that.
i try to keep it simple and strip it down to the essentials. i let the newbies explore a bit, but they do get a lot of adjusts and personalized instruction as i walk around. i trust my other students to show the basic structure and for the newbie to follow that. if they're having trouble following that, i'll say "follow Lynn" and point her out" or say "watch Shelly" who might be right next to that person. but i've only had to do this twice.
the one woman yelled at me "i don't understand what you mean!" and i said "look around. everyone else is doing it. you'll eventually understand the words, but the first time, you might have you use your eyes too." after that (and that was about 10 minutes in), she had no more complaints and afterwards apologized for being so upset at first--she was nervous and confused because she couldn't see "me" and wasn't sure about anyone else. i told her that was fine--she's been coming weekly for 3 years now, and she's one of the first to assign herself to a "newbie" to help. |
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| One of my weaker theories is this:
As you become a better teacher, as you want to share more with students, as you deepen your own practice and teachings, 55 minutes becomes not only problematic but ridiculous.
I am sure there are a thousand other replies to your initial post OM. But it may be that you simply find this amount of time insufficient as a result of your own growth as a teacher. |
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| purnayoga - 2008-03-16 12:13 PM One of my weaker theories is this: As you become a better teacher, as you want to share more with students, as you deepen your own practice and teachings, 55 minutes becomes not only problematic but ridiculous. I am sure there are a thousand other replies to your initial post OM. But it may be that you simply find this amount of time insufficient as a result of your own growth as a teacher. Purna, I see what you're saying, and it's nice to hear a differing viewpoint. So while in many cases, less is more, but sometimes less just isn't enough. Thanks. But now I'm curious: what would be one of your stronger theories?  Seriously though, why is this one considered "weak"? |
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| OrangeMat - 2008-03-15 4:31 PM
jimg - 2008-03-15 7:06 PM Firstly, I always start on time and therefore have not really had a problem with late students. Yes, but do you start teaching when the room is still empty, even though the clock says it's time to start? Literally there is no one in the room for at least 5-10 minutes of the start of class. It's utterly ridiculous sometimes.
OM,
I think that what you are missing is a core group of dedicated students who show up on a regular basis. Maybe you should work on developing that. If they show up on time and are modeling the poses well, your job as a teacher is much easier as the others will follow. It sounds to me like you are having to pull and push the class grudgingly along. Once you have a core group, you are freed up to teach.
Namaste,
jimg |
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| jimg - 2008-03-16 5:37 PM OM, I think that what you are missing is a core group of dedicated students who show up on a regular basis. Maybe you should work on developing that. If they show up on time and are modeling the poses well, your job as a teacher is much easier as the others will follow. It sounds to me like you are having to pull and push the class grudgingly along. Once you have a core group, you are freed up to teach. Namaste, jimg Yes, of course that's what I need (easier said than done, obviously). Many times when I teach it's literally like pulling teeth. So what I keep telling myself is that all these difficulties that I'm experiencing is my Yoga, and that's how I'll grow and progress in my own practice of dealing with life. 'Cause otherwise, the answer to the ultimate question of "what is the purpose of life" would simply be the chicken's version: to get to the other side.  |
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| OM,
In a gym setting, power yoga and/or vinyasa flow yoga work much better as it is starting more from the perspective of a purely physical practice, which is why people generally join a gym. Once the student grows in their practice, they start to understand some of the other aspects. People in a gym usually want a work out. If your class is a good work out, many students will become regulars because they like how they feel. They will notice the physical fitness, the stress reduction, the improved attitude etc and encourage other like minded people to come and they will also become open to other aspects. Anusara yoga may not work as well in a gym setting.
I start with getting students to understand the poses (what part goes where and good general alignment) and give them a good work out, then to learn to relax, fine tune the alignment and deepen the poses, then to coordinate their breathing and finally to integrate mind, breath, body and energy. If I started with the integration of mind, breath, body and energy, I wouldn't have any students. I get there after building trust and respect and that takes a while. Also, I am not preaching or telling my students how to be or think. I am not selling a philosophy or religion. (Some of my students are conservative Christians and others are athiests.) I am giving them tools and showing them some of the ways that those tools can be used and encouraging them to find out how these and other tools can be used to make their lives more healthy and joyful. I like to believe that I am helping others open their bodies, minds and hearts. In a gym setting, it has to start with the body!
Are you a young woman? Are your students older than you? Are you authoritative in your presentation? As a man, these things are sometimes easier as the men in the class see right away that I can do things that they can't, and that wins respect. Women (as a group) are more likely to accept a man as an authority than another woman, especially a younger one, and especially if she does not teach with "authority". Women are generally much easier on men than on other women. Please understand that these are generalizations, but I have found them to be generally true in my experience.
Can you teach what you want to teach in a way that better engages this particular population? If not, maybe you should be looking for a teaching opportunity at another venue. If so, enjoy the journey!
Namaste,
jimg
Edited by jimg 2008-03-16 7:38 PM
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| I polled my class (1 hour noon-1pm gym class) two weeks ago. Executed the "poll" by simply asking "why are you here".
Not one person said it was substituting for their weight or cardio workout nor did anyone say sweat or workout.
In fact, all of the people responding, and that was about ten of them, said it was for balance, calm, mental benefit, stress, or the like. And frankly I was surprised for I was operating under the paradigm that folks in gyms were merely there for a workout of one sort or another and Yoga was "another sort".
I was wrong.
I'm sure this isn't universally so but I bring it up to illustrate that a "gym mentality" may or may not be present. And we should use care in the assumptions we make and the number of them.
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| jimg - 2008-03-16 7:35 PM Anusara yoga may not work as well in a gym setting. I think you might be right. This might be the entire crux of my issue here. I have to take some time and think on that. You ask if I'm a young woman. That's a funny question, because I'm kinda caught halfway between young and old right now, and so I don't even know: I'll be 46 in several weeks but look about 10 years younger (yeah, honest to a fault as well, heh). And no, I don't really consider myself authoritarian, though I'm not wishy-washy either. I'm a yoga teacher. I used to teach fitness for about 5 years but got out of that last year because I really didn't like it, never quite did. The yoga I teach (and practice) will make you fit, but it's not "fitness yoga". That's not for me, never was. Interestingly enough, at one of the four different facilities where I teach (been there about 2 months now), the group there comes for me and what I have to say, as opposed to coming solely for the workout. Now believe me, they do want the workout, and they do get it, and as odd as this might seem, this is the only class where I always finish on time. I can tell they're receptive and willing to work physically, so maybe I'm responding well to them as well? I have a feeling that things will be shifting for me in the next couple weeks. Schedules changing, spring cleaning, all that. I really appreciate all the discussion that's risen up in this thread. Definitely food for thought. Thanks to you all. |
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| purnayoga - 2008-03-16 8:08 PM In fact, all of the people responding, and that was about ten of them, said it was for balance, calm, mental benefit, stress, or the like. And frankly I was surprised for I was operating under the paradigm that folks in gyms were merely there for a workout of one sort or another and Yoga was "another sort". I played the role of gym rat for well over 20 years. Yoga wasn't "another sort" of workout for me either, because I had all that already, and quite frankly, found it more of a deterrent to finding balance in my life. So of course why would I want to teach that sort of fitness-y yoga myself? If wishing made a difference, I suppose I could wish for a roomful of students who, when asked "why they are here" would say because it's physically challenging, it relaxes them, and it makes them think. Hey, it's good to know what you want, right? |
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| i find that anusara works fine in gym settings, to be honest. a friend of mine taught at the Y for years--anusara yoga. classes there were 50 minutes, not 55, and they were always great.
she, like me, did the 'basics' and didn't worry too much about it.
i also think that one can have a lot to teach, and see 55 minutes as a problem, or they can see it as an opportunity to learn to give information within time constraints (my process, personally).
that's why class is about 45 minutes. it really works at that time process. if i end up doing 50 or 55 due to whatever, then awesome, but that's adding stuff in (usually more pranayama, longer meditation, etc)--but i can get the goods in in 45 mintues or 35 minutes too. 55 is just an awkward number for me.
i prefer 1.25-1.5 hours, but gyms not to much.
i find that the majority of my students are there for yoga practice in it's many facets and layers, and most of them do not utilize the gym at all, once they become 'addicted' to the yoga. it's kinda funny. |
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| I'm telling you OM--colleges--you'll get exactly what you're searching for.OM wrote: If wishing made a difference, I suppose I could wish for a roomful of students who, when asked "why they are here" would say because it's physically challenging, it relaxes them, and it makes them think. Hey, it's good to know what you want, right? |
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| i just want all of m students to become "yoga addicts." |
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time issues
