Personal Practice & Self-Study: Practice & Knowledge
Frequency of yoga practice, either with or without a teacher, was the most consistent positive predictor of experiencing nearly all types of benefits. – David Keil
To be an excellent teacher requires prioritizing personal practice and self-study.
- Your practice is key in so many ways, not the least of which is its role as your teacher.
- It may be tempting to spend precious time doing any number of things, but the task is to train ourselves to keep personal practice and self-study as the foundation.
- Personal practice is not defined as a daily 90-minute asana sequence! Personal practice can last any amount of time you deem appropriate and may consist of pranayama, chanting, meditation or any combination of yoga techniques.
- More important than length of each individual practice time is consistency of practice. A daily practice, of any length, serves us better than a less frequent practice.
Yoga is a Practice of Self-Study
Yoga is a practice of self-study. The act of consistently being on a yoga mat trains our bodies and minds, and it also illuminates patterns, habits, and routines. – Emily Rosenberger
Your Practice Becomes Your Teacher
Your practice becomes your teacher. Without a practice, you never really discover yoga—you’ll get a lot of information, but you’ll never know yoga. As a teacher, without a personal practice, you are living from and teaching from only twenty-five percent of the knowledge available from yoga, and you’ll never be a great teacher; you can only be good. – Shari Friedrichsen
Practice a Lot, Teach a Lot, but Don’t Talk a Lot
Practice a lot, teach a lot, but don’t talk a lot. – David Life
There’s Always a Shortage of Time; Do the Essentials
I find it is necessary to realize the value of time. If we constantly put off doing the essential until tomorrow, this kind of hesitation might well accompany us all the way to our end. The right moment to start is now. – Sounds True
Making it Fit
Yoga must fit into your life… not the other way around. This is the practice of the mystic. It’s not once a week for 90 minutes. It’s every day, throughout the day in small ways that add up. – Alanna Kaivalya
Multitask if Necessary
I acknowledge that it is a non-traditional approach, but I think it is okay to do your practice, when necessary, while you’re taking a walk, commuting on your way to work in public transportation, or even while taking a bath. Your attention will naturally be somewhat divided if you are doing your practice while doing something else, but if it is the only way you can squeeze it into your day, just do it. I don’t recommend making a habit of this type of multitasking, especially if you are new to mantra meditation. However, in our modern busy lives, sometimes it is the best we can do. – Anandra