I’m approaching the half-way point of the training with this is a bright and enthusiastic group. Many send their homework assignments in on Sunday night just hours after we’ve met, and the others follow shortly early in the week. We’ve covered: the fundamental standing poses, many Yogaworks teaching methods,  the history of yoga,  Pantanjalis’ Sutras 1.1-1.41,  and just this past Sunday, an introduction to inversions. Nevertheles, some express frustration with the new topics they are exposed to; anatomy, philosophy, Sanskrit.  I continually encourage them to be patient with what they are learning–abhyasa and vairagaya (“patience and perseverance,” Sutra 1.12 )

I have my own challenges as a teacher; its difficult to keep the energy throughout the day while teaching, demonstrating and maintaining a constant dialogue between the translator, students, and myself. In fact, there is constant chatter all day long. To end the day long session, I often have us sit in silence and I say, “let all of this new information settle,” reinforcing the concept of, sutra 1.2 “yogas citta vritti nirohda” (yoga is the calming of the fluctuations of the mind). Many are now saying how much that sutra resonates with them in personal situations throughout their week.

No matter how exhausted I may be at the end of a training weekend, I feel blessed and can’t believe I’m here in Tokyo teaching yoga.