Educators’ Programme

How to use these models

The following class descriptions are meant to be just a pattern anyone can fill up according to the group of students, to their own experience and to any particular circumstances that may occur. Teachers can follow the pattern proposed or change it, they can choose among the list of asanas, pranayama and meditation techniques they can find in the “Organize your own class” Section, or add any they know from different yoga methods, styles and traditions.

To work with educators we have chosen the following tools

• Mindfulness principles: being present, work/live with awareness

• Meditation techniques;

• Pranayama techniques: working with the breath. Different techniques for different issues. How do we breath? Physical and psychological/emotional effects 

• Asana sequence: mind and body approach. Using the body to engage the mind. Improve physical awareness, flexibility, strength, consciousness.

Class I: Feeling Comfortable (or Knowing one’s own self)

a) Presentation

b) Mindfulness exercise: “the present moment”

c) Pranayama

  • Breath awareness; observing the breath
  • Balancing the breath: surya & chandra bedana
  • a short rebound

d) Asana section

  • Simple Yin Yoga sequence: Use props to find the best and comfortable posture for every participant 
  • shavasana led or with music (5-10 min)

e) Concluding the lesson

  • share the experience

Class II: Knowing the other 

a) Presentation: working and relating with others –attitudes, points of view, habits- what is that bothers us when working with other people, why? Is it always because of the other? Is it possible to change approach or perspective? How? (…)

c) Pranayama

  • Partner pranayama
    (For these activities we referred to the book “The Joy of Partner Yoga” by Mishabae, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc, New York, 2003.)
  • a short rebound

d) Asana section

  • Partner yoga sequence
  • shavasana: feeling the presence of the other

e) Concluding the lesson

  • share the experience

Class III: uncertanty: everything changes constantly

a) Presentation: teacher introduces the subject of the class: the changing quality of life. How do we relate with change? Does it scare us? Do we accept with no fear? Do we struggle against it? Find examples of life (how did Covid 19 came into our lives, were we prepared, how do we get adapted….)

b) Meditation: Eye of the hurrycane with music (rock…). Stay still

c) Pranayama: introducing kumbaka => control vs let go: notice the feelings which arise after this kind of pranayama:

  • Observing the natural flow of breath
  • Inh 4-exh 6 (9 reptitions)
  • Ing 4-hold 4- exh 6 (9 repetitions) Observing the natural flow of breath
  • Observing the arising feelings after the pranayama

d) Asana sequence: blind practice (lead a short sequence of standing asanas with eyes closed)

  • Sun salutation: a) inh arms up/exh bend forward/inh stand up – 3 times
  • Sun salutation: b) as the above adding adhomukha svanasana and back to standing – 3 times
  • Back bending practice: getting a wide vision
    • Ustrasana: hands on the waist – 3 times
    • Ustrasana: holding anckles – 3 times
    • Ustrasana: arms up – 3 times
    • balasana: feeling the experience
    • standing lean back: hands on the waist – 3 times
    • standing lean back: arms up– 3 times
    • uttanasana + malasana

e) Shavasana

  • Sharing the experience

Class IV: Experiencing silence

Some rules to enjoy the silence during and after class

DURING CLASS

  1. Phone off
  2. Do not talk
  3. do not whisper
  4. do not look at each other
    NB: Try to not have any sort of communication with colleagues
  5. Only the teacher will speak, simply follow the instructions by listening or watching
  6. If it’s not strictly necessary, do not ask questions during the class; teacher will understand if the asana is correct, or if it needs to be adjusted some how
  7. Move slowly, accurately and try to be as less noisy as you can

AFTER CLASS

  1. There won’t be any reciprocation/follow up after class, write down or keep in mind anything you’d love to share or ask.
  2. Try to be silent as you exit the class, if it possible keep it until you get to your car/bicycle… the best would be until you get home (no music allowed, no IG, FB etc). Just be with the experience

a) Pranayama practice

  1. Microcosmic pranayama 6 inh/ 6 exh
  2. Microcosmic pranayama 6 inh + observing the pause at the end of inhalation + 6 exh + observing the pause at the end of exhalation
  3. Introduce short kumbakas 6+6+4 and 6+4+6 few repetitions

b) Asana practice

  1. Simple Moon Sequence (see Mathew Sweeny video or book)

c) Meditation practice

  1. 5/10min + 5/10 min concentration on the body + concentration on the breath (apana) 5/10 min concentration on mind/thoughts
  2. Shavasana

d) Leave the room in silence

Class V: Be friend your breath to be friend your mind

“There are as many ways of breathing as many kind of food we can eat (…) and the way we breath will affect our lives in many ways” (The Art Of Breathing – J. Nestor)

a) Presentation: the importance of breathing on an emotional (different ways of breathing in different emotional states) and physical (breathing correctly is as much important as eating healthy food and exercising) level. Start observing the connection between mind and breath

b) Meditation: the qualitities of the mind

c) Pranayama: 

  • Observing the natural breath: notice the sensations that arise: bore/calm/bothering/discomfort/churn (5 min)
  • More on the breath:
  1. nose: feel the air entering from the nostrils, how is it? How is it when it goes out
  2. chest: follow the movement of your chest while the air goes in and out. In how many directions does it move? In which directions does it move? can you follow the flow of your breath and track that path. Try to concentrate on it, follow your breath down to your belly and back up again
  3. quality: notice the quality of your breath, is short and hectic or long and smooth?Concentrate on the quality of your breath and notice if it changes or if it’s always the same
  4. Inhalation/exhalation: how do you feel following your breath? What does it happen when the inhalation turns into an exhalation? Does the breath flow with no interruptions? Do you notice any pause? What are these pauses like? Do they cause any emotional state? …
  5. No breath: what does it happen when the breath leaves your body? Does it merge with the space around you? How do you feel?

d) Asana sequence

  • Focusing on coordination of breath and movment
  • shavasana

e) Meditazione: breve esercizio di meditazione

f) Concluding the lesson

  • share the experience

Class VI: Enjoyment at work

a) Presentation: brainstorming on what it’s enjoyment, what is it more enjoyable, what is it not?…

b) Pranayama: 

  • Resonance breathing
  • Chandra bedana & surya bedana
  • Nadi Shodana

c) Asana sequence: 

  • gentle vinyasa flow 

d) Meditation

  • “Watering flowers

e) Concluding the lesson

  • shavasana: “Gayatri Mantra (Deva Premal)
  • share the experience

Class VII: Finding balance in life: the equanimous mind

a) Presentation: 

Buddha: «I teach only one thing: pain and the cessation of pain»
He said: «Pain is!» We should grow up the fact, mature to the fact, relax to the fact that there will be pain in our lives (Pema Chodron).
Pain ≠ suffering (dukkha aka dissatisfaction)
Pain is an inevitable part of human life as is pleasure. They constantly alternate (ragha ≠ dvesha- pleasure and aversion): how do we deal with this constant shifting in mood, thoughts, feelings, sensations? We should train not identifying with this shifting emotions, with satisfaction or dissatisfaction, with our internal weather always changing, seeking pleasures and avoiding aversions. We should learn to look at all these things, accepting them as part of life, without being involved. Which doesn’t mean that we won’t be getting angry, unsatisfied, sad, etc. but we will be able to not cause more suffering around all this adding more words, thoughts, narrative and so on. Yoga, meditation, pranayama are some of the tools we can use to achieve an equanimous mind

b) Pranayama: 

  • Square breathing
  • Nadi Shodana

c) Asana sequence: 

  • Yin sequence: back and forth
  • shavasana

d) Meditation

  • Thoughts as object of meditation
  • rebound

e) Concluding the lesson

  • share the experience

Class VIII: Letting go

a) Presentation: why letting go…

b) Pranayama: 

  • Viloma Pranayama
  • 4-7-8 breathing

c) Asana sequence: 

  • Yin sequence
  • shavasana

d) Meditation

  • Letting go

e) Concluding the lesson

  • share the experience