On the outside, yoga may look like an exercise to the causal observer. But beware, yoga is so much more than an asana (or pose). Yoga was developed as a tool to be used before deep meditation. The poses call us to attention because they demand discipline and self-knowledge. Herein lies the inherent brilliance of the yogic system: we are called to ourselves.
The silence of the room, except for a teacher's direction and perhaps soft chanting or flute music in the background, sets the stage for inner reflection. Occasionally, a new student will burst into tears, alarmed by the emotions that surface as the asanas do their magic. What's a yoga teacher to do?
While we are not new age therapists, yoga teachers find themselves in a unique social role. We are trusted to care for people's physical well-being inside our classes, and that extends into the safe emotional space we set by intention. We are warned, in yogic teachings, to remain humble. Our ego may want to fix and emotion, like we straighten and adjust our student's bodies. But the reality is, in a short hour class, we have opened up a pandora's box of feelings, thoughts and emotions.
Yoga teachers must learn to live with other's pain and not take it on as our own. Compassion fatigue is not just for social workers, therapists and doctors. Empathic distress, another term for compassion fatigue, is a occupational hazard of teaching yoga.
Our first practice in yoga is learning to balance ourselves. Be aware of our own intentions for teaching yoga and stay true to our limits. Yes, yoga teachers have emotional, physical and psychology limits, too.
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