I have had this excerpt from "Awakening The Spine" by Vanda Scaravelli on my wall for years.
As something to remind myself of what it is to teach yoga. It keeps my spine "awake", literally and metapholically!
I felt like putting this up as a new post today. So here it is.
- On Teaching -
To teach is an act of love.
To teach yoga is also a responsibility, because occasionally certain centres are awakened in which the energy released can be tremendously powerful.
This energy is not meant to be used for personal or egoistic purposes, but for other people's sake.
To teach implies also a certain vigilance and dedication in everyday life.
(This is why, in the past, this practice was limited to the very few.)
There are no good pupils, there are only good teachers.
Teaching is not an imposition of the teacher's will over that of the pupil, not at all. Teaching starts with freedom and ends with freedom.
A receptive state is required on the part of the pupil, a feeling of acceptance, even before the brain sees the truth of what is shown; an empty free space that one might call "innocence". It is from here that intelligence starts to function.
The aim of the teacher is to awaken interest and curiosity in the mind of the pupil, giving him a clear picture of the subject. His explanations should be so evident and logical that the pupil cannot but grasp the significance of what is said.
"Awakening The Spine" by Vanda Scaravelli
