Learning To Teach After 15 Years Of Teaching

Hi! You likely haven't heard of me unless you live on a very tiny island on the West Coast of Canada. This rainforest covered island is misty and dark green in the winter (which seems to last forever!) and bright and glittery in the summer, as the sun shines on the Pacific Ocean waters around us. It's home to bears and whales and bald eagles who play in the moss, cedar branches and hay fields. This is where my rambunctious family and I live. My name is Basha and I've been passionately teaching yoga here in Nanaimo, British Columbia for over a decade. I've interwoven teachings from my Ashtanga, Anusara, Kundalini and Ayurvedic backgrounds and have been offering IN PERSON classes, workshops and trainings derived from these lineages. I love the feeling of walking into a studio classroom and feeling the quality of the energy everyone brought in to contribute - the bright bubbly chitter chatter in Spring and the introverted, sometimes sullen whispers in the darkest days of Winter -and of course everything in between - help to guide me as to what I'm going to offer that day. I rarely, if ever, plan a class and more often than not teach on the fly depending on the visual and energetic cues I'm getting from the students in the room. It's for this reason that I hesitated for so long to teach online - despite a pandemic and all the isolation that came with it - I never wavered from the belief that I wouldn't be using my knowledge in the best way of service unless we were together in the same space. That all changed the day I decided to stretch out of the familiar and grow into my new learning.

DoYogaWithMe was a platform I always revered and looked to as a bank of great information and inspiration. Wonderful teachers articulating their message so clearly and carefully make for accessible and digestible classes. It's so easy to pop a new class on and get swept away in someone's voice and cueing. An hour can fly by in an instant! So when I was approached to give it a shot and join the team of fabulous guides, I finally overcame myself and learned how to teach, after so many long years of teaching!

There are obviously some big differences. Having a crew around filming, a mic recording, and only my experience to get feedback from takes some getting used to, but as I learned last month when filming my three upcoming classes - Fly With Faith, Grow Your Lotus and Touch The Void there is so much beauty in experiencing and guiding online.

As you all know, the convenience of having a class on your time, for how long you chose, and in a space you feel best in is an absolute treat! Knowing that the class will end exactly when it's meant to means staying present the whole time, and cutting down on the commute to and from class means more time for rest, enjoyment or practice! (and we can all acknowledge the savings on costs- online classes are the most affordable way to integrate great classes into busy or cash strapped lives!)

Now, from a teaching perspective, I was challenged to use my voice in the best way possible. The biggest lesson I gained from learning to teach in this way was choosing my words so that they could best convey what I mean without a whole lot of mumbo jumbo. This experience made me so aware of how special language is, an has influenced how I teach public classes as well. When we say what we mean, and mean what we say traction is gained. Trust is established between the thoughts of the mind and the emotion of the heart as words effectively bridge these two polarities. It's made me very aware of the words I chose to share, and the thoughts from which they sprout from.

I also learned that I can still imagine that you're right there with me, and that I can connect with you by reminding myself of the universality of this practice. We are connected despite distance, gender, race, language and belief because yoga is all embracing! That's the beauty and goal of Yoga: To dispel the feelings of diversity that keep us feeling separate from, and reminds us of the innate divinity that unites us all. I hope that you feel this as you move through my classes. I'm there with you working through the challenges of Hanumanasana (front splits) calling in the fire and strength that the great monkey god Hanuman was revered for in the class Fly With Faith. I'm next to you softening tension and breathing space into hips, low back and knees, carefully exploring the lotus pose (padmasana) in the class Grow Your Lotus. My inhale is patiently timed with your inhale as we begin the steady practice of Pranayama in the class Touch The Void. As time and space dissolve in meditation we merge and for a brief time our experience is connected. That has been the most valuable reminder and the space from which the most growth has come for me. Yoga is timeless, beyond borders and boundaries and above all, unifying.

My commitment is to continue to learn how I can best be with you in energy, awareness and movement as I further my class offerings on DoYogaWithMe. If after all these years of teaching I can learn how to teach in a new way, who knows what's possible down the road! I'm hopeful that I never stop trying to find out!

Stay tuned for more classes coming up this summer!