Preface

I Hated The First Yoga Class I attended. It was harder than I expected, there were manual corrections and confusing Sanskrit, and savasana was bizarre to me, especially because I desperately had to pee but, unsure of the protocol or how long we’d be lying still, was afraid to leave the room. If I’d felt neutral instead of negative about the experience, you wouldn’t be holding this book. My intense aversion led me to go back for more, to get at the root of what made yoga challenging and to see whether I could change my reaction. As I dug deeper into yoga, I garnered the tools to investigate my early response to the practice.

Prenatal yoga was a bridge for me. During my first pregnancy, I found that I was more open to the sense of connection and union that yoga offers, and I was eager to watch what changed in my body and mind moment to moment. Then, during my second pregnancy, I felt the call to be a yoga teacher. Every class I’ve taken—especially that first one—has shown me something new about the practice and taught me how to be the best version of myself, both as a practitioner and as a student.

Looking back, I can see that my previous experiences had also set me up to be a yoga teacher. Both my parents are educators, and I didn’t stray far from the cozy nest of academia, going straight from college to graduate school, where I eventually earned a PhD in English literature. During graduate school, I came to running as a stress release, and my running led me back to yoga for good. After graduation, I realized that I could use the skills I’d learned in graduate school in the yoga field. I’d spent my educational career learning how to teach, how to help my peers grow as teachers, and how to research the subjects that interested me, like the intersection between sports and yoga. Eventually, I was able to use my experience writing to share my research with readers. This is my ninth book.

I entered yoga teacher training in 2003. Though I’d only been out of the classroom for a few years, it was wonderful to get back into concerted study. Teacher training gives you a chance to explore things you won’t get in a regular class and to pursue your special interests. In teacher training, we have a special opportunity to form friendships in a group of like-minded people. This is how we spent our childhoods and young adulthoods—studying alongside classmates—and it feels like coming home to get back to it. If you haven’t already taken teacher training, I know this communion—having colleagues who are interested in the same things that you’re passionate about, and growing together—will be a special part of your experience.

The more I practice yoga, the more I depend on the simplicity of the basics: breath, awareness, easy movement. The same goes for teaching. Coming back to the basics will keep you professional. I am still learning in every class. I pick up a new use for a prop, admire a new turn of phrase, or hear an old lesson imparted in a way that gives it new relevance. Whether you are new to the practice or have decades of experience, if you are an aspiring teacher or have been doing it for years, I hope this book will be useful. Much of what we cover is basic. But being a professional is about covering the basics: establishing clear communication, following through on what you promise, and holding yourself to high standards.