My Yoga teacher, M

I have been studying yoga under M for almost 5 years and I saw that she has grown from an innocent young girl into a full blown lady.  I think she is almost reaching 30 and she has a very flexible body and agile as well. Through the years, I seen her students swell to 30 or more at each sessions and also fell to less than 6 at each session. So, many news faces come and go including many westerners.

I was wondering what is happening to her business , swing to a huge number during promotion periods and falling to a miserable group of die hards. I have been quiet and  have not attempt to engage her in conversation over her business strategy.

When there is less number of people , she will give personal attentions  and it has its pro   and cons. She is a perfectionist  and she expects her regular students to perform the pose like her. Sometimes, it i
s real torturing. She can grind us and push us through a tedious routine and we can be flat out after the session.  For me, I hate and love it. After each difficult session, I have the satisfaction of staying throught her class and I can have a very good sleep. The only problem is that I will be suffering muscle pains for the next few days.

If we have a big class for the day, she will grill the beginners and we are left on our own. Of course, we will never push ourself so hard and have chances to catch our breath or rest our tired hands or legs. Sometimes, she will call our names to push us if we slack behind. She is like a sheperd looking after her flock of sheep and trying control everyone to follow her. She is really a hard worker . Always watchful and discipline.

So, from my watching on the side, I think something is wrong with her management style. One point is that she is gathering her students in the same class whether beginners or regulars.  If she caters for the beginners , it will be too like for the regulars but if she is too tough on her sessions, it will scare away the beginners. It was a tough act to follow. She has attempt to separate the beginners and the regulars , it took so much of her time and her cost goes up.  After a period, she combined back her class and now, all the beginners fell away. 

Well, this is her choice and I believe  Yoga is a very tough business because the students have to endure so much body pains in the beginning and have to be very discipline. If a Yogi were to stop her practice for a few times, the difficulties and pain in executing a pose will increase and it will need a lot of patience, discipline and endurance to get back the momentum. It is always very difficult to break out from our comfort zone and I think it is a personal challenge to every Yogi.

If we want to search for perfection, we have to sacrifice alot  but if it is only for leisure, it will be a joy. A light yoga session is a wonderful and healthy experience but to keep our body in shape and in good condition, it will have to be more than a light stretching exercise.

So, the choice is yours and choose well and live well.

Namaste.