Language Habits – What are yours?

This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.

The Question

I train yoga teachers as a mentor and coach so I watch TONS of class demos to give feedback to help them grow. The biggest area of growth I see for most teachers are their language habits. So many teachers use language that is impersonal and indirect with lots of "ing" words and saying "the/that/those" for body parts instead of "your." For example: "Inhaling, lifting that right leg to the sky. Exhaling, placing that foot between those hands." It honestly sounds like someone's first day on earth. A much clearer, personal cue would be "inhale, lift your right leg to the sky. Exhale, place your foot between your hands." I also hear tons of disempowering language that makes students feel bad about their practice or themselves. For example, "if you're a beginner, do this, if you're advanced, do that." Or, "if malasana is too hard for you, sit on a block." It's much more empowering (and efficient for you as a teacher) to say, "sit on 2 blocks for malasana and if you need more stretch, remove one or both blocks." This makes everyone feel safe and confident no matter where they land. What language habits do you hear when you take a class that make you go hmmm? What are some of your personal language habits you're working on?

— via r/yogateachers

Our Response

Okay. Two things.

One: Ashtanga solves most of this by not talking much at all. You call the pose. You breathe with them. You adjust when needed. The practice teaches. Not your commentary.

Two: When you do speak? Be direct. Use commands. "Lift your leg. Place your foot." Present tense. Active voice. Done.

The beginner-versus-advanced thing? That's not a language problem. That's a teaching problem. In Ashtanga, everyone does the same thing until they can't. Then they stop. No tiers. No options menu.

If you're teaching vinyasa or another style, fine. Offer variations. But lead with the full expression. Then say, "bend your knees if you need to." Not "if this is too hard." Just state the option. No judgment attached.

Here's what I'm working on: saying less. Every word should do something. If it doesn't, cut it.

The practice is the teacher. You're just keeping time.