183: Teaching Asana Without Demonstrating: UPDATED

In this episode of The Mentor Sessions, I'm revisiting an idea I first explored many years ago: that teaching yoga asana primarily with words rather than relying on the body to demonstrate every pose is a skill many teachers benefit from working on.

I demonstrate as little as possible when I teach. And while I don't think demonstrating is inherently bad, I do think it can become a habit that keeps us from developing our verbal skills as teachers.

When I transitioned to teaching online in 2020, I realized just how valuable this approach had been. My students were already accustomed to practicing with my voice rather than watching my body. That experience made me even more curious about what is possible when we ask students to listen, feel, notice, and explore instead of simply copying what they see.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why I demonstrate as little as possible when I teach yoga

• How teaching with words helps students pay attention to their own experience instead of copying a shape

• What I notice when I'm watching my students instead of practicing alongside them

• How a serious hip injury strengthened my verbal teaching skills

• Three experiments to help you teach without demonstrating

• When demonstrating does serve students, and how to make it an intentional choice

• Why teaching private students invites us  to develop a shared language

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