When I’m training yoga teachers, I often hear them talk about feeling overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge they think they must have in order to make yoga accessible to all their students. They also worry about being able to provide variations of practices to each individual student within a group class. This is both wonderful and concerning. The urge to make their offerings accessible is wonderful, but the sense of overwhelm can be paralyzing, and feed into a kind of perfectionism.
I think this perfectionism can originate from wanting to truly serve others and be the best teacher possible. It also connects to the desire to not cause harm, which is the foundational teaching of yoga. But there is another side to it. That is the ego not wanting to be wrong or make a mistake. It’s the hallmark of our human fragility and fear. The worry is that I’ll look stupid or embarrass myself. Of course, I’ve made many mistakes and embarrassed myself many times—and I’ve survived! In fact, I’ve learned more from those public mistakes than from any other training or experience I could have had.
The other essential element to letting go of perfectionism and control is to practice humility, and reflect on the fact that you are really just a vehicle for teachings that have literally existed for millenia. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t responsible for what you do and what you say, but it is a good reminder that you didn’t create yoga, and you are simply sharing what you’ve learned.
One essential point to remember is that 100% accessibility isn’t possible to achieve, and there are many reasons for this. One reason is that we can’t always tell from outside what support or accommodations a student may need, and they may not always tell you.
Teaching Accessible Yoga isn’t about figuring out how to teach twenty different versions of a practice for your twenty students. Rather, it’s about learning skills and techniques that allow all twenty students to find their own practice in the midst of the group class. That is an important distinction.
There are specific skills that yoga teachers can learn to make their offerings accessible to everyone. In fact, these techniques are typically more effective at achieving accessibility than individually teaching each student would be. That’s because these skills are about giving students agency and choice. They’re about educating them to connect with what they are experiencing and begin to figure out what they need themselves. The process of teaching, providing real education, is more about this long term path than the short term solution of simply telling everyone what to do.
Another reason why 100% accessibility isn’t achievable is because students within a class may have opposing needs. One may want the room colder and one may want it warmer. These needs may be based not just on personal desire but on their health or disability. It’s not possible to create a perfect environment where no one ever gets disturbed or upset. We do our best, but some friction is unavoidable. In this situation, you may need to work together as a team and collaborate to find a solution. So often the key to accessibility lies not in the endless knowledge of a teacher, but in their skill at sharing power.
To make practices accessible, keep the ABC’s of Accessible Yoga in mind: Agency, Boundaries, and Collaboration.
Agency—Make sure students know they can opt out or adapt as they like.
Boundaries—Students need to respect their own boundaries and each other’s, so while they are each encouraged to find their own practice, it can’t be dangerous or interfere with another student’s experience.
Collaboration—Working collaboratively with students allows them to find a way into practice. Also, if there are conflicting needs among students, you can bring them together to collaborate and find a solution.
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