Your mentor experience

[Kimberly]

Benjamin Franklin said “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Now that you have all spent some time with your mentor, share some key concepts you are working on with her. Or, is there another teacher or mentor on this yoga journey that is currently making a difference for you? How? Any tips for your fellow learners on how to get the most of your mentor experience?

Part 2 of this question is to explore the role of you as a mentor when you become a yoga teacher. How can you involve, engage and inspire yet still maintain a student-teacher relationship and not blur the lines?

[Beth]

I am learning the most from my mentor by attending her class every week and observing her teaching style and how she builds relationships with her students. Her style is focused on her strength, which is science-based and with her background in physical therapy, she is able to speak very knowledgeably about the muscles in the body. I appreciate how she weaves in her knowledge while still bringing a yoga experience, bringing in the breath and setting an intention. She is building strength in our muscles while teaching us about our anatomy, all the while practicing moving prana through our movements.

I am a visual learner and learn best by observation and asking questions. I have really enjoyed watching my mentor and chatting with her before and after class. I am also learning a great deal from my fellow YTT members, each of you has so much experience to draw from and share. I want to find ways to incorporate my strengths into my teaching until I become more comfortable with areas that are new to me. I really enjoy seated postures and my mentor is leading a series on the body, much of which are in seated or supine postures. I also want to bring awareness to others about the spine and help those suffering from chronic headaches or upper back pain. This is what I have experienced most of my life and I therefore cue better in poses which I find have really helped me.

I learn best by watching and doing, and I’ve realized how much easier it is to cue poses which I love and which I find as part of my daily routine. I am also eager to get out of my comfort zone and be challenged by standing poses and even some back-bending. Typically these are very hard for me with my scoliosis, but I want to help others with spinal dysfunction find comfort in different postures. I also struggle with inversion poses because blood rushing to my head is not something that is welcome about half of the days of any given month. With headaches blood circulation can be a challenge, but it is so healthy to do inversions, I want to find ways to work them in and modify them when the time isn’t right.

I find modifications empowering because it is a way for all to participate depending on how they arrive on the mat that day. I use modifications more confidently in classes now, because I know my body. There is power in that choice and in that awareness. I have no problem getting into a pose one day and then modifying it the next class because I know I won’t be comfortable afterwards. I think modeling this for our students and encouraging them to do what is right in their own bodies is liberating. I think finding your confidence in cuing, teaching to your strengths and embracing humbleness in your practice while in front of your students on your mat are the key points I hope all students get from their mentors.

When I become a mentor to a student taking the YTT classes, I think maintaining a social line during their teacher training is key. As much as I love the women who are serving as mentors, I think during the six to eight months of teacher training, should be kept professional. In this sense, going to yoga classes together, coffee and observing the mentor teaching are all great ways to get engaged. On the other hand, spending time outside of yoga, not talking about yoga-related topics can begin to blur the lines. Each person needs to decide this for themselves, but as a mentor someday, I would try to keep things socially separate and focus entirely on yoga-related conversations or events would be best until teacher training has ended. At this point, the student is now a member of the teaching community and it isn’t an issue.

[regmarlew63]

I have had more than a few pleasant and helpful meetings thus far with my mentor. We relate well each other, which lends to very easy conversations. We are signed up to attend a workshop together this month. She was explaining to me her awesome beginnings with the particular teacher of this workshop. She told me how eye opening it was for her and how she felt it would be extremely beneficial for me to not only learn about a different style of yoga, that which is restorative, but also to learn from someone who is very skilled in this genre and who makes a huge impact on a person in a positive way. I am excited. I think it will be awesome to experience the new style, teacher and studio especially alongside my mentor. I feel it will be yet another good way for us to bond. I have also been fortunate enough to experience a new class and new teacher with Mary Coleman. I learned so much! I was so inspired by her word choices and amazed at what positive effect it brought to my practice. We have been talking alot about this, and I thought I understood the importance. But, experiencing it firsthand, was eye opening! I hope with time, effort, and practice I can learn to incorporate this talent whenever teaching to a student. Also, she used little sayings (tips)that kind of just stick to you, and pop up unexpectedly when practicing in a totally different class, with a totally different teacher. I guess they can be referred to as little reminders to enhance my practice. When meeting with my mentor, I was able to ask some nagging questions I had about all the different styles of yoga, and exactly what I might call what I’ve been doing for the last 20 years. She was able to help me understand better and gave me little comparisons of the many different styles, and the different focuses of each. I appreciated that. I felt so much more informed. And that brought me some comfort in knowing.
When I think about me as a teacher, I have alot of apprehensions. Probably because I had a preconceived notion coming into the YTT program that I had no intention on teaching when finished. Instead, I just wanted to know and have a deeper understanding into my current practice. But now, I am having feelings that maybe I do want to share in some capacity the knowledge I have about a yogic lifestyle. If that does happen to be my path, I hope that I present myself as a very warm, approachable, kind, and compassionate teacher to anyone who comes to me for any guidance or instruction. I hope that I can guide them with clarity and leave them with more answers than questions afterwards.
I hope I can be open enough to learn from my teaching others. I feel if I am always yearning to learn…I will reflect a good energy that my students will pick up and carry with them.
I hope to demonstrate all this by how I behave. To be sure to actually be present in conversations and or a practice. To be available before class and after. To not carry any heirs about my knowledge and or to act superior in any way. I hope I have courage to show students, I don’t know all there is to know about yoga and that there will be areas I am not equipped to answer.

Regina Lewis

[EmilyD]

Emily DeRee

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time!!!

My mentor and I are very much is the same stage of life right now – married, three young kids, working on our place in the family as the kids get older and are in school full time. Our conversations often end up focusing on two things.

1. Balance: how do we balance the role of mom/wife/daughter/friend with our role as a yoga teacher. She has shared her experience of finding ways to carve quiet time for herself, finding time to build a class, and ways that she maintains her own practice. I value her insight. I will need to find a way to do all of those things in the near future, and some days I really worry about it because it’s already a challenge to balance my study, my practice, and my home life.

2. How to get past the worry: I am a constant worrier. My mentor has done a wonderful job of reminding me that I am not alone in the worry. She is encouraging, and keeps me focused on what’s important right now – finding my voice and trusting that I can do it. We’ve discussed how she always has a plan laid out for the class. She often doesn’t use it, but it is there and keeps her calm and centered as she walks in to teach. This will be very helpful to me as I start teaching. I need to see it not as a crutch, but as a “just in case my memory blanks and I need a little nudge.”

I have also gotten some great advice from Kelly S. and Laurie. I find that no matter what I’m thinking about that day, I can ask and get good feedback after class. Sometimes the questions lead to discussions, other times it’s a “have you seen/tried this yet?” and I walk away with a new tool. Two recent examples – Yoga 108 is an app that helps with the Sanskrit pronunciation of each pose and that there is a deck of cards that accompanies the Mark Stephens book that has a pose per card with prompts and other information about the pose. Both are going to be quite useful as I try to layout my flows.

My best tip for getting more out of your mentor is be honest with how you’re feeling at the moment and ask. No question is too small.

I think the best way to be a mentor when I start teaching is to just be me. I need to smile and be honest. I need to listen and observe. I need to be available before and after class. These are the things that have had the most impact on me as I interact with other yoga teachers.

[melross1]

I am learning in so many ways. Kelly is such an energetic person. She is full of ideas that are outside of the box. She shared Mark Stephens sequence cards to help put together a class. In doing this, look for words or cues that are similar. The way she describes things is so clear, it makes sense in my mind. Taking her restorative class is also very inspiring, we are very much alike, we are high energy people it nice to see that with all that energy slowing down can be positive. Listening to her teaching and seeing her relate to her students and help each person on their level is so helpful. It makes me realize that each student is an individual and needs individual help or guidance. She has such great advice and guidance for where I can take my teaching for those with special needs and trauma. I look forward to getting to know her better and learning more from her such a wealth of knowledge!

[msinghal]

Meenal Singhal

I enjoyed meeting my mentor, Harshaw, a couple weeks back. Although, we have met only once so far, she comes across as a very relatable person. Despite her busy personal life with 3 little kids and a busy husband, she has been very willing to make time to meet and talk in the future. I also have not had the opportunity so far to attend any of her regular classes. I did see her in action once as a sub in another class. I loved that she offered physical assists to me in down dog and a head massage during Shavasana. However, I intend to take a day off and attend one of her regular classes.
In our one meeting, we talked on many different levels from improving my alignment in certain poses, to addressing my trepidations on needing to teach in not so distant future, to the power of observing mentors/seasoned teachers, to the value of offering verbal and physical assists. We will continue to hone in all of these and possibly more areas in our future sessions. I look forward to knowing her and her style even more.
Another teacher who I admire is Caroline Donnelly. I have been a regular in her Saturday morning Empowering Flow for over a year now. She has a wealth of knowledge, and I find her personality calming and inspiring, but her practice strong and effortless. She has offered to meet with me even though she is not my mentor, a gesture I greatly appreciate.
At the moment, it is hard for me to imagine myself as a mentor. But when I get there, I would like to be real, truthful and honest, be a good listener, be available, and impart knowledge as was imparted to me

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by msinghal.

[sally200]

Mentoring and coaching to me have many of the same qualities. My Mentor and I have just started our relationship, I feel supported, open, and good about our call. I am blessed to have a connected mentor and a very special teacher.

Since, my training is away from my mentor, my teacher is my all in all with this yoga training experience. My appreciation of Tammy and her talents has tripled. She loves this path and it resonates through all that she offers.
As a teacher/mentor She really really cares, encourages, talks you off the cliff, makes our space comfortable and homey, demonstrates, express herself clearly, shows respect and honors the work- past and present, creates a fun learning environment, asks the deep questions, I know she is there for me.

My tips for the other learners, ASK, get what you want, I feel it is a compliment to ask for an opinion, lastest news, help, and how am I doing or I need reassurance.

I see myself as enjoying being a mentor, I have a background in managing teams, large and small, and coaching folks to their goals. I feel comfortable here.
My mentor goals are to totally be present with any one speaking with me, ask questions, listen, listen, listen. Be involved, but not create the solutions for them, give them options. Inspire!

No blurred lines- remain the teacher/mentor, express my lifestyle boundaries with kindness, like times I am available, and how to communicate with me. And that I keep teaching and socializing seperate, saying it with kindness. Respecting all parties professionally, and to their highest honor.

[betshellhaas]

I really enjoyed my mentoring call. If I were experiencing any concerns, resistance or just not understanding something I know who I can go to. The concept I am focusing on now is cueing people into/out of poses and stringing poses together. Hoping to gain more confidence, my own voice and becoming more comfortable with the teacher aspect of being a yoga instructor.

I am very lucky, my mother is my teacher/yoga instructor/mentor and not to mention best friend. She encourages me every day to find confidence in myself in this program and that I can always come to her with anything. Her style of teaching is influential in that she includes those eastern tools of meditation, mudras, pranayama, bandhas, mantras and more that are sometimes lost in western practices. Many of which I plan to incorporate in my classes.

Tips for my fellow learners would be to ASK. If any concerns, worries or just misunderstandings come up reach out to your mentor. They are there for us but may not know when we need them, it is our duty to call on them when we have any resistance.

As a yoga teacher and mentor I would want my students to know I am open to answering any questions they may have. To maintain a student-teacher relationship I would answer questions that the student can comprehend at that moment in their practice. Some of the material may be a little in depth for a student at that time so coming from a place they can understand is important. I think it’s also great to make boundaries of when I am available and when I am not for such inquiries.

[KHuttsell]

Due to our work schedules – my mentor and I have utilized texting and phone calls to discuss yoga teaching. I have also been able to attend one of her classes to see her style of teaching.

I am happy that my mentor was assigned to me as she can relate to balancing work life and opportunities to practice yoga and self care. She has also helped me understand the responsibility we have as teachers to student’s practicing safely. My favorite part of working with my mentor, though, was attending her class a week ago. She structured her class to work toward a specific pose near the end of the class by preparing the body. That evening the “apex pose” was camel. She used the opportunity to reinforce the importance of opening the hips throughout class in preparation for camel. Each asana was selected to aid in obtaining camel pose near the end of class. I also loved that she offered several modifications to get into camel pose even after we had done all the “preparatory” poses. I have seen teachers in the past build up to an intense pose with a group of preliminary poses and not offer any modifications – implying that because you “prepared” you should be able to do the apex pose. She also spent significant time on counter poses to protect the body after camel was complete.

I think a great mentor is someone who is accessible and truly seems to want to help a mentee to succeed. A student can’t learn if they can’t ask questions openly. So it is key for a mentor to listen and then provide answers or opportunities for further exploration to the mentee.

-Karen

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by KHuttsell.

[lisaclick48]

LISA CLICK –

I’ve met with my yoga mentor several times including attending her yoga class and doing yoga together at a different studio. It’s been helpful to share experiences with her and my concerns as a teacher to gain perspective. Having a mentor gives me more peace of mind since I can reach out to her at any time. She shared with me various teaching experiences, so I could get a good picture on all the possible scenarios and all the elements that make a good yoga session for students. I think the most valuable thing I learned was to teach what I feel is my area of strength and make it my own. This has recently been discussed in yoga training, so it makes perfect sense. I think I feel more positive and calm and less worried. I think there is an element of confidence that develops over time. I understand that I may not know for a while what type of teacher I will become but I need to embrace the journey and not knowing is ok. Her advice and wisdom has been very helpful in putting my heart at ease.
As a mentor of a student, I will be myself and provide student support based on what the student needs or how they learn. Sticking to discussions of yoga should keep the focus of teacher-student relationship in balance. I have a passion for training and the love of people so being a part of assisting in one’s development will be very rewarding.

[dooley]

This is one of my favorite quotes because I am a hands on learner. I want to keep this quote in mind as I am teaching my students so I am aware of how they learn and what they need.

I enjoy my mentor. We talk on a regular basis. I am so glad that I am able to reach out to her anytime I have a question. There are several key concepts she helps me on. She reminds me to stay focused in the moment. In other words, to keep my Vata mind from overthinking everything. Not to look to far ahead on the reading and classes, and I really need to do that. She encourages me to take as many new classes as I can so I am able to experience different teaching styles. She reminds me not to let them overwhelm me. Just to take in the important concepts that the teacher is teaching and bring that into my teaching style. She encourages me to stay consistent with my personal practice and work on my finding my own words.

Laurie and Kelly have given me great advise. When I take their classes, I am able to approach them with any questions or concerns I have. It is a joy to see so many teacher who are willing to step up and guide their students to become a wonderful teacher.

I feel that teaching yoga is similar to teaching children. You have to know your students and what they are able to accomplish in class. Not every person is the same and will not be able to do the same as another student, so reassuring them of that. You have to be warm and welcome them to your class. They have to know you are just not there to teach. You are there to help them learn and grow in their practice.

[LAD92761]

My mentor experience is just really starting to explode. We have talked a couple of times but really connected last week in a Nia class which we were both participants. I loved seeing her reaction to this type of yoga and hear her interactions with the teacher. Anne has so much experience in so many different self care areas that I love that I get to mentor with her.

I feel as though I am learning so much from all the teachers at Balancing Owl namely Kimberly, Anne, Kelly and Laurie, all seem to be sharing unique pieces of the yoga journey with me. Kelly specifically helped me understand how to break each pose into the simalarities through a cue chart. And I’m working on that as we speak. Kimberly is helping me understand how to keep classes fresh by adding modifications, or new approaches to each class and her Cueing is unbelievable. And Anne really helps me understand how to create a topic, introduce it, and weave it throughout the class.

Now with Anne my focus is what am I not getting from BOY. One area is her oncology work and I will be scheduling a session for her with one of my friends for an oncology massage, which I’d like to learn more on how mindful meditation and some movement could also accompany what she does. Anne wants me to attend meditation with Walter from her studio and has helped me target chair yoga classes in the city so I can check those out. She and I then will be talking through all of this as we move forward. I really like how she is well connected in the city and helps me find answers.

As far as how I will mentor, I feel like the best way to get to know someone is getting both of us out of our comfort zones, just like Anne did with Nia class, so I will start there and then really come with lots of questions so I can pin point who my student is and what her hot buttons are. It’s hard now knowing sometimes what questions to ask because everything is so new, so I will reflect back on my journey and be the one asking the specifics so as to spur so thought process. I think now too I will try to mirror monthly learnings and would take this discussion topic for instance and talk through each month one on one. It’s an exciting journey! Thanks for hooking me up with my great mentor!

[heatherfly]

Heather

I’ve met with my mentor, Mary, a couple of times and she’s reached out to me via email to check in. I honestly feel so lucky it borders on guilt for having her assigned to me. At the same time I’m so glad she was. With most people I keep all my own needs in check, never wanting to bother anyone. With Mary I’ve been able to wholly represent my worries without concern for bothering her. This has allowed me to really give vent to the fears I have of putting myself out there – the fears that would keep me from teaching. Her path has taken her past a lot of the same pitfalls and potholes I worry about. She’s also been able to articulate the importance of persisting beyond those. I get the most treasured sense – the most important and treasured sense – that she believes in me for the very same reasons I want to believe in myself.

So yes, I feel so lucky and I’m so grateful that this mentoring is part of this program.

In terms of my own mentorship, I think of the meaning we imply with namaste. I’ve loved what I’ve understood about namaste since the first time I heard it 18 years ago. The first meaning I heard was “the divine in me salutes the divine in you”. It’s the sense I get from Mary and it’s related to how I regard my clients in work. I regard their inner light. I endeavor to reflect theirs to them via my own. The result is that I find each person I meet with and come to know beautiful. If I can bring Namaste spirit to a class as a teacher I will feel good about mentoring. Showing others their beauty, their light so they can experience it – in case they need it.

[CindyHurst]

– Sequencing; following my instincts when planning the flow of my classes
– “Reading” the class; observing how students react to the content of the practice
– Finding my “voice” as a teacher
– Assists; some of the potential challenges of doing physical assists
– Realistic number of classes to teach while working full time

Tip: Remember to talk to your mentor about the reality of teaching; for instance, the time it takes to plan and prepare for your classes and how it will fit in with your busy life.

As a mentor, I hope that I can show my students the long-term benefits of the yoga lifestyle – by being a strong yogi in my 60s and following my dream to become a yoga teacher.
I’ve also ‘survived’ a long career in a high-pressure field; I want to share tools to help my students with stress and keeping everything in perspective.
I want to share quotes that I’ve collected over the years and readings from books that have special meaning to me.

[Abby Rogowski]

Lex and I have both spoken via phone and met in person 2x’s and we are set to meet this Saturday 1pm to work on queuing and facilitating a class.
Lex has been a great resource and seeing she is also getting her 300YTT certification and works full-time so both our schedules are very busy. So I’ve also met with Laurie Gyurko, Mary Coleman and I also plan to meet with other teachers from Balancing Owl to fill in where Lex is simply not able to. It’s wonderful to have such amazing resources available.
As for becoming a mentoring and inspiring others without blurring the lines… I naturally become genuinely interested in others, which I assume will indeed grow and change as I come into my own as a teacher. As for not blurring the lines, I will do my best to keep it professional always.

[Author]

Posts