What an astrophysicist taught me about teaching yoga

I mentioned a few emails ago that I've learnt more about life and yoga from non-yoga sources than I ever expected to. Sometimes taking your head out of your own discipline is the only way to see it clearly, without those romantic lenses we all end up wearing. It's how we stay objective.

Something I read a while back that genuinely changed how I teach was a line from Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist. He said it's curious that we spend more time congratulating the people who've succeeded than encouraging the ones who haven't.

Now I'm not pretending I understand astrophysics. Far from it. I own his book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and most of it sailed clean over my head. Honestly it left me feeling like I should stay in my own lane and stick to the colouring books. But baffling science aside, the man can still throw a haymaker like that one.

After reading it, I walked into my next class thinking maybe I could be encouraging today instead of leaning on the usual piss-taking and sarcasm. Maybe these students didn't need my acquired sense of humour that day. Maybe they just needed a bit of encouragement.

I don't always get it right. Sometimes I'm too much Zahir, just being myself. But more often than you'd realise, I'm trying to do better. It's never forced though. When the encouragement comes, it's genuine.

So I'll leave Tyson's line with you rather than tie a bow on it. We spend more time congratulating the ones who've succeeded than encouraging the ones who haven't. Have a think this week about who in your classes is getting your encouragement, and who's quietly going without it. I'll be doing the same.

Maya Angelou said; "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better".

If I can help you be better, in person on the Yin mat or online through the training, the links are below.

Namaskar, Zahir

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