Over-teaching

Dear Ones, I have been teaching 5 classes a week (6 and a half hours each week ) for the last 8 months. I am 56 years old and I feel tired a lot. My question is hard for me to phrase. In meditation, it came to me that the changes in my body from all these classes needs to be met with changes in diet that support a healthier life style. Has anyone had similar experiences of being tired from teaching too much yoga, and if so, what did you do?

My name is Marcia. I teach in a gym, have great students and love the opportunity. I was certified in Ananda in 1989 and have been teaching on and off since then.

[Note from Gyandev: The next issue of Awake & Ready! will have an article on avoiding yoga teacher burnout. I think it will be helpful to many of you great souls.]

ANSWERS:

From Linda Martin (summer 2001)

Hi Marcia,

I, too, have experienced over-teaching. I am older than you and before Christmas I was teaching 10-11 classes/week. It wasn't the teaching, it was the driving! I was driving too far for 5 of these classes--I stopped teaching those almost immediately after the super-exhaustion set in! I am now back up to about the same number of classes, but with less driving. But it remains difficult to limit the driving in the sprawl I call "home"! One thing that does help me is that a lot of my classes are "series" for community ed, parks and rec., etc. Not only do these classes give me a break of a few weeks every few months, but they also give me new students, to a large extent--which is somewhat less taxing--I don't have to create as many "new" sequences, etc. Also, since I was an academic for years I am used to schedules with "breaks". However, I do have some on-going classes....but I am going to take a good portion of July off for myself (and hopefully for meditation teacher training at Ananda!) and last Christmas I promised myself I would schedule at least two off for myself this Christmas! I am also beginning to schedule retreats, something I have always wanted to do...if that works out I may eventually consider only series classes. Ideally I would like to have a studio in my home (if I can find a suitable home!) and do just classes from home and retreats (the perfect world!) Now I teach classes for "seniors", PD pts, women's health club, yoga studio, community ed., parks and rec., church, home.

I find that diet and exercise are an essential component of being able to teach many classes. I have always been very careful about diet and exercise--I try to do my own yoga practice in addition to walking and weights. And I try to get a lot of sleep. I can't say that I win with the walking and weights all the time, but anytime I can walk I am somewhat renewed. And I attend yoga classes whenever I can. Although I get tremendous good feeling from teaching, nothing is quite as recharging as attending a good class! And I get new ideas for my classes!

Anyway, hope this helps somewhat. We all need to take care of ourselves in whatever ways work for us! Good luck.

From Pam Blasco:

Dear Marcia,

I find I always have more energy after teaching. I was very sick with strep-throat 2 weeks ago, though I did not know what I had at the time. I taught a hatha and meditation class in the morning and I was doing a workshop that evening in meditation, one I had never taught. I had a friend visiting who is a yogi and a Jesuit, he came to the meditation workshop and said a lot of very nice things all of which I attribute to getting out of my own way. I went to the back of the back of the studio before class began and cleansed my aura and asked for Divine guidance. I definitely receive it, I must always remember to ask. I also like to thank God and Divine mother at the end of a class, and all the saints and sages for their inspiration. This helps to promote the teaching as giving and receiving instead of doing for me; giving is very uplifting, and doing can be depleting. I wish you uplifted energy. Love and Joy

From Nicole DeAvilla (1984):

Remember that God is the Doer! Why use up all of your limited energy when you can have use of Infinite Energy? One way to accomplish this is through prayer - ask that Divine Mother/Master/your favorite saint/ guide you through the class, both blessing you with wisdom and intuition as well cosmic energy.

Also you can rub and/or concentrate on the medulla oblongata (base of the skull, top of the spine) before class to relax that area and consciously draw cosmic energy into your being - like Energization Exercises - through out the class.

I used to teach 12 to 15 yoga classes a week, first at my own studio and then at another one where I also had management duties, before cutting back to raise two wonderful children. As long as I remained prayerful, and consciously open to receiving cosmic energy, I was actually energized by the classes. This included the times when I would be tired and nauseous from one of the pregnancies (I taught right up until their births), and found that teaching would always make me feel better and give me more energy.

Now once a year, I teach a five day program called "Therapeutic Yoga" at The Expanding Light. I remember the first year I taught it, I had a very full schedule teaching plus I gave the students a lot of homework that I then needed to correct each night before going to bed. Some one said "You must be exhausted with all of the work you are doing!" I replied, "Not at all. This is a real vacation for me - no one wakes me up in the middle of the night and I do not have to cook any meals!" And I was bubbling over with blissful energy.

And, yes, you might want to look into diet and other lifestyle changes. That can also be very beneficial. Good Luck and Joy to You!

From Fran Zabica:

Dear Marcia,

Teaching classes and doing your own practice are very different. Your own practice will give you energy, whereas teaching may begin to drain you for several reasons. 1). You are only half in your body and half in the students bodies so you are not getting the full benefit from the posture and you may not be hearing messages telling you to back off. I have injured myself by exaggerating a posture to communicate visually. Be careful. 2). You do not get the benefit of a deep relaxation when you teach and that is where everything has a chance to integrate and harmonize. Be sure to treat yourself to a deep relaxation on the days that you teach. 3). Your students may be a drain on your energy. This one is very subtle, but you need to learn to protect yourself. Create a little prayer ritual before and after class asking for protection during class and to return the students energy to them after class. 4). Diet is an issue, but since everyone has a different constitution, I recommend that you consult someone trained in Ayurveda. 5). Do things that recharge you. I let my energy get very low because I was doing everything for everyone, but very little for myself. You need to come first or you will have nothing to give. Hope this helps. Love and Light.

From Sally Jo Beck:

Greetings Marcia! I teach Ananda yoga in Park City Utah. Two years ago I was living in Missoula MT and teaching 5 to 10 classes per week. I definitely was exhausted! Energetically more so than physically though. I do not know what your current diet is, and you may already be practicing these habits, but what significantly helped me was: teaching less evening classes, drinking more water (especially in morning), eliminate caffeine of any sort, eat very light dinners, yet make sure dinner has some protein (good for body to regenerate while sleeping), and take a short 10 to 20 minute cat nap each day if possible. I hope this helps.

From Mary Yost (1984)

Dear Marcia:

How to keep our teaching fresh on an on going basis...........I live in the low desert ....... have been a certified Ananda yoga teacher since 1984 and Yoga of the Heart Part One and Part Two since 2000.......I have my own corporation A Breath Away Inc. since 1998...... I specialize in special needs of all kinds and ages......My oldest student is 102 for the males and 100 for the females.......last year I had a lady Pauline who was 104 years old......I have five regular chair yoga classes with students over 75 years old and in the summer I do Water Yoga I copyrighted both my Chair Yoga (1998) and Water Yoga (1999) and the other end starting doing parent/child......have taught high risk teens .........for the past five years been speaking at two public libraries ......this is a community service activity where I find new students interested in the art of Yoga in some way......... I do series of different classes for young adults to seniors generally 4-8 weeks.......Also, in the Fall beginning of November I have a healthy food holiday party using some of Dean Ornish's recipes....giving examples of enjoyable fun healthy foods alternatives it is interesting how many people later tell me they tried them.....Personally I have taught over 6,000 hours of Yoga..... I have learned to work on honoring my body it is my only TEMPLE this lifetime so listen to it respect it and don't push it....remember being the teacher you don't have to do the postures.....When I did my AYTT in SF at the old SF Ashram two weeks in to the class I had the opportunity to finish the next couple months of the course on crutches.......Two years later went to work at the Recreation Center for the Handicapped in SF for over 5 years...If we just get out of the way Divine Mother has a plan for each one of us as an instrument and tool of the universe......in this space we have plenty of Divine Energy....... Remember each one of us need to be first loving to ourselves .....check where you are giving from the little self or the great self in your teaching....?????? Big difference in continual energy flow. SECLUSION IS NEEDED FOR GREATNESS.....to stay in the Divine Light.... At Ananda in the Dining Hall there is a sign "GOD IS GUEST" also every morning except Sunday breakfast is in silence Why? Maybe to stay in your heart and God self every moment of your day,

The thing that keeps my balance in teaching the most is We only teach a 10 month year.......No classes in August and the week of Christmas until the end of January or beginning of February depending on the group and year..... During the year I take off for retreats and vacations, and transporting my Mom now I leave on April 22, to take my Mom home for the first time in 2 years since my father passed away .....could use some prayers.....Thank you....

TAKE LONG BREAKS A FEW WEEKS AT A TIME DURING THE YEAR

Do some sort of seclusion every year.......stop the world for a minute remember 20 minutes of good deep meditation is better than a 4 hour nap........