Bringing Yoga to Your Students

After speaking with the folks from Street Yoga I was reminded of the time I spent doing social work in the projects of Cambridgeport.  These projects were situated in-between Harvard and MIT, a half mile from each institution.  I was always struck by the irony of these project kids sandwiched between two of the most prestigious universities in the country and the impossibility for most of them of ever entering those gates. My Boston days preceded my yoga life, but I remember that intuitively I would organize the groups of kids that I worked with into some kind of physical activity, whether it was a theatrical production or taking them out to the courtyard to shoot hoops.  I can now understand that I was responding to the rajasic, agitated energy inside of them, and helping them channel it through physical release.  Once we had moved together, I found we could talk about their feelings and what was really going on in their lives.
Bringing yoga to kids who live in similarly stressful kinds of situations makes all kinds of sense. Yoga’s flexibility to both be physically releasing, and emotionally soothing enables it to tend to a wide range of disparate energies. When I attended the Street Yoga class in Portland, it was filled with young, male teens. These, tall, tough looking guys in jeans seemed to appreciate a quiet space where they could retreat internally and connect with themselves.  The teachers were both male as well (in fact it was the first yoga class in 25 years where I was gender-outnumbered by a long shot!), and yet the class had a soft, non-authoritative quality.  The breath was emphasized through out, the music that was played had a gentle, melodic flow. I was impressed with the invitational manner with which the teachers, in turn, approached instruction.  There was ample space given for personal interpretation, including the option to opt out of a particular movement.  At a certain point in the class, a few regulars were asked to come and lead a half-sun salute.  Somewhat self-conscious, each young man stepped onto the center mat and shared his own particular way of doing the sequence. There were no corrections, or adjustments given – an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance pervaded the room.


In talking with the students of the class afterwards, each one mentioned how the breathing has been the greatest ‘gift’ of all.  One described it as providing him with a sense of control over himself and his emotions. Another said it helped him to feel more centered.  This of course is an affirmation of what the yoga teachings say about the power of pranayama, or breathing practices – that through pranayama the mind balances, and that which clouds or veils the light of perception is ‘swept away’. (sutra 2:52)
In that simple, basement classroom, with linoleum floors, desks and chairs pushed to the walls, I experienced a deep and transformative yoga that honored the tradition fully.  Suresh, the primary teacher of the Sunday afternoon sessions models the qualities of maîtri and karuna, friendliness and compassion, creating a safe and loving environment for all who enter his classroom. It was like this still-point amidst a whirling world of chaos just outside the door.  What a reminder to all of us teachers to detach from the accoutrements of yoga… candles, incense, hardwood floors…What matters most is the heart and intention of the teacher to bring forth the teachings in a way that connects and honors the light within each student.