What are your Values?

Recently, as part of advanced teacher training, we were assigned to reflect on our teaching values, and how we practice them when teaching and practicing on and off the mat in our daily life..... AND teach a 5 minute sequence which embodies the essence of our values.

Well...that's a loaded assignment. It seems like a no brainer, teach a 5 minute sequence which we do at least 12 times in any one hour class....but to infuse it with my teaching values in a very conscious manner. (which again...we do each and every time we teach, usually without specific awareness to it).

So, never-the-less, I thought this was a great assignment for me to consciously become aware of what my values as a teacher are, and if I am actually instructing in a way that is in alignment with my teaching values.

Below is a collage of all of my teaching values....too many you ask? Definitely not, however in any one given class I may focus more on some of these than others, I may not use each every one of these words in a class, but I do hope that in my teaching, via the sequencing, the tone of my voice, the alignment cues, in my touch and assists and in my general overall personality these qualities are infusing my classes and that its evident.

Thanks to http://www.wordle.net/ for helping me be a bit creative with my value pictorial

Interested in the 5 minute yoga sequence I designed with the essence of these qualities... read on...

• Begin in a forward fold ~ arms interlaced at elbows ~ swaying side to side = FUN, INTENTION
• Stepback with right leg, drop back knee (low lunge), raise arms to sky, sink into front knee (slowly with belly engaged) = YUMMY & SAFE ALIGNMENT
• Step back to plank and hold for 2 breaths = STRENGTH
• Straight arm push ups (engaging & releasing the area between your shoulder blades) = STRENGTH
• Down Dog = SPACE, BREATH, INTENTION
• Repeat on lunge series on left side
• Step to top of mat - Standing with mini back bend = EXHILARATING
• Standing Stork Pose to Tree Pose = STABILITY (for more challenge try closing eyes)
• Yogic Squat = FUN, CHALLENGING
• Bakasana (Crow pose) = CHALLENGE, EXPERIMENTATION, FUN
• Step or jump back to Chatturanga = MINDFULNESS EXPERIMENTATION

I encourage you in any sequence, class, situation in life on our off the mat, HONOR your body's limits, cultivating an experience of GROWTH, and finding your TRUE yoga values!