Teaching with an Open Heart

What exactly is an Open Heart?

When your heart is open, you are available to see the beauty and wonder in others and all that is around you.

An open heart nurtures an open mind and vice versa.

The more open your heart, the more available you are for new experiences and new challenges and meeting them head on.

An Open heart is something you NEED to teach Yoga & especially to children.

When I began teaching yoga to children 6 years ago - the behavior, 'quietness & stillness' of the children ran in direct relation to my ability as a teacher.

If they were noisy, wriggling, didn't seem to relax; then I was a poor teacher!

This, of course, is absolute garbage.

Children are, by their very nature, small humans of energy. They wriggle & jump and move & play constantly.

We are cultivating these gorgeous inquisitive minds, therefore who are we to control them?

A yoga class is a safe space, where there is no judgment, they have the freedom to be expressive and BE themselves.

Yes, my class management as a teacher is valuable and important, but my open heart ensures that I do not pigeon hole the class. Each student is an individual and has the freedom to BE themselves in a safe non disruptive way.

There is no such thing as a PERFECT class - every class is lead by the students themselves. There is a plan, and I guide them through the plan seamlessly, but there are always - to quote Gabby Berstein- little 'detours in the right direction'.

It is when children and students are met with the openness to be free and are led through a class to the joyful Savasana, they then find the safety and surrender to let go and relax fully - that is when your magic as an Open Hearted teacher really kicks in.

Allow them to be and enable yourself the freedom to be the teacher you want to be.