Tag Archive for: Teacher

Peace with People: Introduction

Yama: Ahimsa—non-harming, kindness. My definition for the experiment was more focused on patience, goodwill, and respect for people who annoy me.

Main Issue—Thoughtless People: I don’t physically harm people, but I certainly feel impatience and disdain for those who are inconsiderate about the impact of their actions on the people around them. It almost seems that people are sometimes fully oblivious to the fact that they do not live in a bubble and that their actions can negatively affect the other people/animals/etc. who share this earth with them. My reaction to thoughtless people is twofold, neither of which is particularly helpful: harming myself (getting fiercely angry and stressed because there is no solution/recourse to the insensitive person’s actions) or harming the perpetrator by way of verbal condescension.

Goal: I wanted to understand better why people act the way they do—the true nature or impetus behind their actions—believing it may somehow help me accept or at least appreciate the complexity of decisions made by people in today’s world. Inconsiderate actions will never fully cease, so I was hoping to find a way to be ok with them recurring in daily life—largely through a change in my own attitude. In order to do so, I needed to witness the situations that caused my anger and take a minute to step back and assess the situation with some dispassion before reacting.

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Peace with People: Findings Part I

Living for a few weeks with ahimsa in mind; talking with family, friends and co-workers about it; and discussing the larger concepts with the other yoga students taking on this yama, several varied findings became evident:

  • The process of being aware/witnessing my anger was a big part of the practice itself. When a triggering event would happen (someone’s inconsiderate action frustrating me), my first reaction during the experiment would be to say to myself, “non-harming.” And that was enough to momentarily distance myself from the situation and give myself time to think rationally. I don’t mean to say that I never ultimately got angry, but I was able to see how my mind was focusing on the situation, with detrimental consequences.
  • In talking with family and friends about the experiment, I came to realize that perhaps I expect too much out of people and need to be more gentle with them. I need approach a frustrating situation giving the perpetrator the benefit of the doubt—believing that they are doing the best they can. No one is perfect: we all have human failings and we all deserve respect (we’re all family/connected/related). My parents taught me growing up that the most important thing with whatever task was in front of me was not to be the best at it, but rather, to do the best I could/give it my all. I need to accept that others are doing the best they can.
  • In caucusing with my fellow ahimsa yoga students, I realized that “judging” my own reactions to thoughtless people was also harming. As long as anger is kept in check, it does serve a purpose at times, and like all other passions, is very human! Beating yourself up about a reaction, or replaying an event over and over in your head serves no positive purpose going forward. It is important to learn from a negative situation/reaction, but not to have it define you.
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Peace with People: Findings Part II

  • Preparing in advance for events I know will be frustrating is an effective strategy. I am a stickler for punctuality, so being late for something is a sure-fire way to build stress in myself that usually leads to poor action. On two recent occasions, concerns for being late to work and to yoga practice made me drive irresponsibly/inconsiderately and significantly raised my blood pressure. I have to be gentle with my own faults (give myself the benefit of the doubt sometimes and accept that life can be hectic and I may be late sometimes, but that luckily people are generally understanding) in the same way that I work to be gentle with others.      
  • Don’t let someone’s initial inconsiderate action lead to my own inconsiderate reaction. The circle only feeds itself! I realized, while keeping ahimsa in mind during a phone conversation with a service rep from Wells Fargo, that being kind in the face of incompetence is a graceful attitude that helps the individual and my own sense of well being. Pointing out someone’s incompetence is rarely useful.
  • “Work toward a value system that supports a higher ideal.” (Not sure if it was Santosh or Derik who had these words of wisdom to share, but they stuck with me throughout the experiment as a grander purpose for taking on a minimal, though important, task.)
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Peace with People: Case Study

Several of my findings helped me in addressing a particular event that was ongoing and continually frustrating. A neighbor in my apartment building would get up very early—both on weekdays and weekends—and leave home before many residents were awake (5:00 a.m. or so). He would rev his car engine several times very strongly, tear down the alleyway, and honk his horn at the end of it several times (presumably to let passersby know he was coming). It’s hard enough to find time to sleep, and this disturbance would wake me up about an hour earlier than I had to be up every morning. What was worse than the shortened sleep time was the terribly angry state I’d find myself waking up in each day.

So my initial reaction (after a week or so of this and realizing that even with winter coming and my windows closed, his routine in the morning would continue to wake me up) was to write a note and place it on his car. I first wrote a note directly after waking one morning—in full anger mode—and luckily he was still gone when I went out later in the day to place it on his car. This gave me a chance to put time and perspective between the event and my reaction, and, based on my findings from this experiment, give the guy the benefit of the doubt. So I rewrote the note, simply informing the driver that his actions were waking me up and would it be possible for him to be a little quieter in the morning. I concluded with a big “Thank you!”

To my somewhat jaded surprise—and really heartened return to confidence in the general kindness of the human race!—he has been extremely quiet ever since. I haven’t woken up once due to his actions since I left that note. I believe this positive reaction to the note can be attributed to the fact that I gave the driver the benefit of the doubt. I came at it from the perspective of, maybe he just doesn’t realize that his actions are having this negative effect on his neighbors. Calling it to his attention in a respectful way stopped the circle of ill will that a nastier note would have continued.

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Peace with People: Conclusion

 I’ve found in the past that at the root of my anger with inconsiderate people is usually a sense that there is no justice/recourse for their actions. They harm others and there is nothing to be done about it. I learned through trials during this experiment that approaching the action with a different mindset—imagining that the person is simply unaware of the impact of their actions, not purposefully trying to harm others—fosters goodwill in my responses and their reactions. Piling kindness and patience on top of thoughtlessness sometimes does bring about a positive resolution. If resolution is not possible, taking my mind away from the immediacy of the anger (as simple as saying to myself, “non-harming”) allows me to slightly distance myself from the situation and either not react at all or react when there is sufficient perspective to allow for a fair and helpful response.

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Student Testimonials

At the completion of each of our trainings, students are given the opportunity to share any feedback they may have regarding the program.  This might include highlights of their experience or constructive criticism.  Both forms of feedback are graciously welcomed as much of the student input is then implemented into the next training session.  Through this ongoing process of feedback and refinement our program continues to grow and evolve.

There is a confident part of me that thinks that I’ve finally done it, I’ve created the best and most watertight program possible.  At the start of each session I briefly go through that process until I start to discover things that can be further developed and improved upon.  The student feedback is an important part of that process.

Participants are freely asked if they would like to give some testimonial.  They are free to do so or not.  What follows are a some examples of those testimonials, written in a very concise format.  Every paragraph or few sentences is a complete submission.  As a teacher, it is always very affirming to hear their responses.

Namaste,
Derik

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Practicum in Summary

yoga class 064Axis Yoga’s teacher training program culminates in practicum presentation in which the general public is invited to attend student lead classes free of charge. This is an exciting (and nervous) time for the students and they draw together 4 months worth of study and condense much of it a two hour class. Often times students begin the program with a good deal of apprehension but through the course of study they gradually become more confident and ready to go out into the world and share the wonderful benefits of yoga.

A considerable amount of time is spent preparing for their final presentations. The students are divided into groups of four and each is responsible for a half hour’s worth of content of their two hour long class. It can be challenging for the group of four to create a sequence that is clear on cohesive given the diversity of presenters.

No two classes are ever the same. At Axis Yoga we instruct the participants in how to design classes based on sound sequencing principals. We do not offer a “cookie-cutter” approach. Rather, the students are instructed upon how to take particular skill levels, dispositions and subtle body components into consideration when designing a class. This makes for a very rich understanding of the intelligence behind each of the postures and how to put them together.

The practicum is a time of celebration and rights of passage as the students instruct a group of 30-50 participants through a class of their own design. For many, this is the first class they ever taught. The good news is that many of their friends and family are there to support them through the process. After the class is finished students are always met with an applause and then everyone piles into the lobby for a health-full array of treats and hot chai.

If you were able to attend our final practicum last weekend I want to thank you for your participation. If you were not able to attend, I want to invite you to attend our next one. Graduates of our fall program will be offering the free event some time in mid-December. I hope you are available to attend this fun and inspiring event.

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Photos from our Final Practicum

Images from our Final Student Practicum

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Free Practicum

Dear Students of Yoga;

I want to take a moment to invite you to Axis Yoga’s Final Practicum for its graduating students. This Denver based event is offered Free to the Public. These students have dedicated themselves intensely to the practice and now wish to share the fruits of their discoveries with you!  Sumptuous Refreshments Will be Served Every Session!  Come on out, enjoy a fantastic yoga class, enjoy the fervor and have some chi and sweets!

Location:  Sixth Ave UCC ~ 3250 E. 6th Ave (Sixth and Adams)

Sunday, June 5
Session I 3:30-5:30pm “The Complete Practice: a Full Yoga Journey” (Phil, Shigeko, Svetlana)

Sunday, June 6
Session II 1-3pm “Lengthen and Strengthen: Entering the Heart of Back bending (Chris, Martha, Samantha, Jim)
Session III 3:30-5:30pm “Opening the Spine and Hips” (Elena, Virginia, Brittany D. Michelle H.)

Saturday, June 12
Session IV 1-3pm “Heart Openers” (Jessica, Lana, Michelle Le)
Session V 3:30-5:30 “Dessert Yoga: Grounding and Balancing Renewal (Carmen, Nancy, Allyssa, Craig)

Sunday, June 13
Session V 1-3pm “Celebrating Back Bends” (Barbara, Bob, Brittney CT, Rachel)

Axis Yoga is Denver’s Only Donation Based Yoga Teacher Training. We offer a thorough, in depth immersion into the heart of yoga practice. Our 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certified school, is designed to meet practitioners at every level and propel them into being skilled instructors, if they so choose. If you wish to go deep into yoga practice, I invite you to participate in this program.

Sincerely,

Derik Eselius
~Program Director~

zrldesign.com | 720-934-6943

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Theory and Practice

I often tell people that Axis Yoga’s training is unique in many ways.  To begin, we are a classically based program.  What this means in practice is that we reference historical and scriptural perspectives on yoga.  The practice of yoga has undergone a tremendous transmutation in the last 100 years since first arriving on our shores; and in the past 10-15 years it has entered the stream of popular culture.  All of this comes with both its up and down sides.

Our theoretical orientation is coupled with an in depth study of the many yogic techniques.  According to the teachings, theory and practice should go hand and hand.  The practitioner then has the opportunity to realize the deeper truths that underscore the practice.  In this way, theory provides an essential reference point for the multiple yogic methods.

One of the ways that we go about exploring and applying the various assertions that underlie the practice is in the form of self directed experiments.  After presenting a piece of material, students then have the opportunity to go out and apply it in real life circumstances.

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