I begin teaching at the NDG YMCA on Sunday. What is my number one concern?
Whether to OM at the beginning and end of the class.
Students can have fairly strong reactions to the OM. Many people "feel like an idiot" when they OM. Others feel as if chanting is too trendy or "granola". Or that if they OM, I'll be brainwashing them next.
Since I'll be dealing with a drop-in, multi-level class, I want to make sure that I respect their (varying, unknowable) attitudes as much as I can.
Needless to say, launching into the ol' vande gurunam is probably not a good idea.
Having gotten some good advice from MBD, I've decided to keep it simple:
- Three nice deeps OMs at the beginning and end. Shantis might be asking too much, but a namaste is almost expected.
- Welcome students to join me or sit quietly if they wish.
- No chanting to bring them out of savasana - yet.
Does anyone have any other stories or suggestions they'd like to throw into the mix? I'd love to hear about your experiences.
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4 comments:
I have never had a yoga teacher ask us to OM in class, but if it were integrated into the class I'm not sure I would question it. Especially if it were explained, so that I didn't think it was just there to be trendy or granola--so that I knew it was consciously chosen as an important part of class. Just my take. And I do pretty much expect a namaste.
Thanks for your input, MT.
Not even one tiny OM, hmmm? Interesting - I wonder how many yoga classes don't have the OM at all??
Hm very good point. I often keep it chill, I go ahead and OM, but give people the choice of joining in, joining in silently or just listening. You can also introduce it as a more "secular" utterance (not that it's religious at all), where you give your innards a bit of a vibrational massage, which you can feel by pressing your thumbs against the sternum. It really does feel healing and centering.
Good tip, Zura.
I'm going to use the vibrational massage this for sure.
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