“Let’s start the class with mountain pose. Stand with your feet together….”
You might be thinking, “Hang on! I was taught to keep my feet hip-width apart. Are you teaching wrong, or was my old teacher not so good?”
What should you do if your new yoga teacher's instruction contradicts your old teacher's? This is very common and not surprising. Yoga has been around for so long, and India is a big country. There are a lot of different yoga styles and systems, and even the same postures are done differently.
When I teach sun salutation to newcomers, I often say, “This is probably different from what you know. It seems all teachers teach slightly different versions.”
I have mainly had Ashtanga teachers myself, but even among them, they do things differently. The same postures can be taught in various ways. It’s hardly surprising when you remember that they probably studied yoga with different teachers themselves.
On top of the styles and yoga lineages they come from, all teachers bring their own experiences and practices. These days, it is rare to see a 'pure' Ashtanga teacher, a 'pure' Iyengar teacher, or whatever the style is. If someone is a good teacher, it is natural for them to experiment with many types and learn from them all.
Also, each teacher brings insights from their own practice—perhaps from their own injuries or setbacks, or from the experience of teaching many individuals. After all, you don't want your yoga teacher to be a carbon copy of their own teachers!
I must confess, it took me many years to feel confident enough to bring my own experience into my teaching. Looking back, as an inexperienced teacher, I was merely regurgitating what I was taught (from wonderful teachers, I must add).
So what should you do if your new teacher teaches things differently? I would suggest trying that new way in their class, not just to be diplomatic, but so that you can learn different methods. The new way may feel difficult, or even wrong, but give it a few tries. Experiment with it in your own practice at home. It’s not that one method is right or wrong; there are different ways to do the same things. Eventually, you may choose which one to stick to, or you may alternate between them.
In the end, it doesn't matter if your feet are three feet or two feet apart, or if your hands are together or shoulder-width apart. As long as your practice supports your well-being and you are motivated to continue, that's what truly matters!
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