Seven Tips for Yoga Cover Teachers and Student Expectations

Stand your ground Yoga Teachers - here's what I believe cover teachers should do.......

1. You have planned your class, so follow it through, of course at times you will improvise as you look around at your students in class.

2. The class you are meant to be teaching does not have to be what your students expect - every teacher has a different delivery and although it can be classed as a specific type of Yoga, it is all about the breathing.

3. Enjoy your teaching and know your students will too. Once they are engaged, you will be spreading the perfect energy.

4. Be calm, especially when you are fully aware fellow yogi's may not take well to change. 

5. It's not for you to adapt your teaching, it is for you to make sure all will benefit from the teaching.

6. Relax your nerves and start off with Pranayama, where you can settle the class and their anxiety.

7. Know that some students are set in their ways and we as teachers have to accept that.

Here's what I believe students should not expect...

1. The teacher to be the same and have the same style as the regular teacher.

2. Students should have an open mind and not expect to receive the same delivery as they regularly do.

3. Just enjoy the class, take the change as it comes.

4. Do not disrespect the teacher by disturbing the whole class with your expectations, just listen, follow and feel your way through the session.

5. Remember cover teacher means cover teacher, it's for a short while so just go with it, the change may be good.

6. Don't be so demanding - sometimes you need a few sessions with the cover teacher to understand where their delivery is coming from, their style and the benefit for you.

7. Enjoy yourself!

Dipa x

Get on your mat...

I've been struggling to keep up with my own practice over the past few weeks and I really believe I'm suffering for it. Between juggling work, planning and teaching classes, family commitments and trying to have a social life I've been putting my own practice on the back burner. 

So I came to realise that a big part of me is missing when all I'm doing is planning classes to teach so I scheduled time for me to get on my mat. Even for 10 minutes and it made all the difference. 

If you're a yoga teacher and sometimes find yourself too busy for your self practice try a 10-15 mins session - just roll off the bed to your laid out mat and you'll feel inspired again and remember why your own practice is just as important as the time you take to plan a class to teach. 

Happy getting on your mat day!

Donate what you can to Nepal disaster

Friends, family, Yogis - we are all connected through a universal consciousness and here at Yogarei we ask that you donate whatever you can to the Nepal relief fund. You can choose the relief organisation you connect with, but we've chosen to go through Oxfam. See if you can help save a life or reduce the pain somehow >

Ayurveda explained...

I never quite know how to explain Ayurvedic principles when asked 'What is Ayurveda'. I came across this amazing explanatory article about Ayurveda and wanted to share it with you. Read more about how the science of Ayurveda impacts each individual in a physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual way >

An expectation of Yoga teachers... BUT IT'S OKAY

There seems to be this expectation floating around that if you're a yoga teacher or a practising Yogi/Yogini then you 'must' be really calm or you 'must' be really flexible. My question is, why? Why should I be really calm and why must you expect that I'm really flexible? 

I, just like you are on a constantly evolving journey of the Self and the world. So I will have days when I'm flustered or frustrated and everything in the world seems to be pushing against me. I may have days where I struggle in a balance pose or just can't get my nose to meet my knee and I know I can do this!  

I try to avoid or limit the expectations I have of others in life, but I definitely have expectations of myself. I sometimes need to remind myself to let go of these and without defaulting to complacency just accept the present moment. Let is be as it is right now. Maybe my energy is low, or maybe it's my hormones, maybe my body is telling me to take it easy. It's easy to let the outside world force you to be a particular way ALL THE TIME due to their expectation of you as a yoga teacher or an active Yogi/Yogini. These are the times when you need to remember that it's your journey. That you're human with vices and flaws and are constantly evolving. As long as you are mindful and practice non-harming to others and therefore yourself it's quite frankly, none of their business if you can't do the crow pose or the splits or if you're have a rant day. 

It's okay if we we're still working on the life plan, the career plan, the family plan. It's okay to set free the expectation we have of ourselves and have a day off constantly striving to live a balanced life. Try and tip the balance and give yourself a 'you' day. Lounge around or get dressed and meet friends for cocktails or have an extravagant meal (that yes may not be that healthy!). It's okay. Be compassionate... we're only human. 

Here at Yogarei we understand we all have good and bad days, emotional and energetic blocks. There's signal failure on your tube line or you may have missed the bus on your way to work, rushing in all flustered, ranting and raving... and that's okay. Take a deep breath, pay attention to yourself and let it go.

Can we really always be cool, calm and collected? Or should we just try and be ourselves or the best version of ourselves that is possible at the time? Be as flexible as is available to you in your practice and be a calm or ranty as you want. Be mindful, accepting and compassionate to yourself and others when they are going through this and try to avoid judging yourself because you 'should' be like this or that. Just be.

My day of not complaining...

It's Wednesday 8th April - my day of not complaining. I saw this image on a social network and decided to give it a go. 

So I sat on the tube in the morning on my way to work opposite a man who kept coughing without covering his mouth. He could have covered his mouth right? I wanted to tell him... "we're on the underground journey for 40 minutes and you're spreading your germs"...I became aware of myself moaning. 

At the next stop a woman came aboard chattering away in her Gujarati mother tongue loudly on her hands-free. She sat there for two whole stops chattering away to her mother in India and about how her mother needs to treat the 'lower classes'. They were talking about the 'help'. I chuckled slightly as her ignorance, then became annoyed. I came to my self-awareness and reminded myself 'Avoid complaints, avoid judgements'.

As soon as I became aware of these things I saw the man opposite me pick up a clear bottle filled with what I know was tumeric, honey, lemon water. We use this antidote for coughs and sore throats due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. I smiled to myself. This avoid complaining is really something huh?! At the next stop the woman gets up from her seat (still chatting away loudly) and gets off the tube. Ahhh peace in the morning again... just the way I like it. I've made a promise to myself to practice this more often. 

Why not give it a go and see how your energies and day changes?

A meditation for Chakra balancing by Deepak Chopra: part 1

Check out this video to start unblocking the seven energy centres in your body...

Universal consciousness connects us all with love

I saw this and wanted to share it with you. I think it's a beautiful way to think and live.

Manifest your goals

I'm a strong believer in the power of our thoughts, words, actions and behaviour. I believe that when all of these elements are aligned it results in a powerful vibration and a harmonious journey. 

I want to share this great article by Nicole Markardt about planning and setting yourself up with vision boards to achieve your goals by attracting positive energy into your life. 

Enjoy x

Having trouble sleeping?

Lack of sleep affects many of us these days. It could be that we're so busy thinking about the millions of things that we need to do, what we should have done, what we could have done better and what we probably shouldn't have... but we just cannot seem to switch off in our fast-paced cosmopolitan lives.

Why not try preparing yourself for bed time an hour or so before it's time for you to sleep? Below, you'll find a list of five tips to try that may help you get that much needed and much deserved sleep.  

1. switch off / dim the lights 
2. listen to some relaxing instrumental music an hour before bed
3. try to avoid the tv, laptop, tablet and mobile an hour or two before bed
4. have a herbal tea and avoid coffee past 4pm
5. try a 10-minute guided meditation or restorative yoga sequence to relax the mind and body

I know some of these tips may seem impractical, but how about you try them a couple of nights a week and see if you notice a difference. 

There's a rumour that March 14th is WORLD SLEEP DAY! I know what I'll be doing tomorrow... Happy sleeping peops.

Who could have thought of something like this? Love it!