 |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
| Judith Lasater: A Teachers’ Teacher: A physical therapist's view on how yoga applies to everyday life |
 |
by Lisa B. Minn, PT - January 24, 2012
|
Provided by The Pragmatic Yogi
 One of my favorite teachers in the yoga world is Judith Hansen Lasater. In fact, the name of this blog is in part inspired by her. The first time I took a class with her, I was amazed by the no-nonsense and down-to-earth way she was able to communicate with each individual in class. She is an innovator and a rule breaker. (Down dog with a rounded spine?!!!) She is the queen of restorative yoga and is an advocate for bringing rest and renewal to the masses. She actually went to PT school to become a better yoga teacher. (How cool is that?!) She wrote an essay for a recent edition of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy in which she boiled down her teaching process into three simple steps:
Step 1: Connect to Myself
It is important to be aware of what is going on inside our own hearts and heads before beginning to teach. You may be feeling excited and happy or you may be feeling tired and irritable. Whatever you feel, just acknowledge it rather than try to “fix it” or change it in any way. Just being aware of your own emotions will allow you to connect to your students more easily.
Step 2: Connect to the Student
Always ask the name of the student, if you don’t already know, whenever answering their question, providing adjustments or giving individual feedback. When a student or client asks a question, consider what might be prompting that question. Rephrase it in your own words to be sure that you fully understand their question.
Step 3: Teach the Asana
Without the connection to yourself and to your student, a lot of the content and meaning of what you teach may be lost. When we teach yoga we teach people so much more than just how to move. Judith states that this approach to teaching has “created a more fertile ground for self-awareness and healing in both the client and myself.”
Judith is a yoga teacher who became a physical therapist. That is why she has an excellent grasp on anatomy and biomechanics. I am a physical therapist who became a yoga teacher. That is why it is easy for me to default to thinking of my students and clients with a one-dimensional, anatomical point of view. It is teachers like Judith who help me to remember that healing is about more than achieving biomechanical milestones. Healing is often about the need to be heard and it's impossible to really hear someone when you are not connected.
What about you? Who or what inspires you to treat the whole patient?
You can read more about Judith, her publications and teacher training schedule at her website,
http://www.judithlasater.com/
Lisa Minn is a licensed physical therapist and yoga enthusiast. She has been incorporating aspects of Yoga and Pilates into her physical therapy practice since 2001 and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004. Her experience ranges from working with athletes at West Point and Georgetown to instructing elderly and wheelchair-bound clients in the fundamentals of Hatha Yoga. Lisa has conducted several lectures and workshops across the US, as well as in Honduras and Peru, where she volunteered her services. She currently resides and practices in Northern California. This and other articles by Lisa can be found at The Pragmatic Yogi.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE
You must be logged in
to recommend articles
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
