Tips for Dealing with Resistant And Less-Than-Eager Students

As my teaching career and interest in serving others through yoga has progressed, I've found myself teaching a different group of students. These teaching situations are unlike those at the yoga studios, clubs, and resorts I teach at where my students are eager and excited to be in class.

I've taught adults with drug and alcohol addiction where yoga is a part of the recovery program. I've taught 12 - 16 year old girls in a delinquency prevention program. I've taught football players preparing for the NFL draft. I've taught my husband - who I must admit has been dragged to class by me a couple times! Within these classes I am often met with resistance from the students: they don't want to be there, they think yoga is silly, they won't stop talking to their neighbor or show respect for me and the other students. They scowl at me and come out of the pose after trying it for one breath... It can be very frustrating to me and disruptive to the students who DO want to be there.

So how does a teacher deal? How can a teacher help each and every student find the benefits of yoga and embrace their practice. Here are a few tips that have helped me:

1. Don't take it personally. If a student is not into the practice, it does not mean you are a bad teacher. Stay out of your head and continue to teach with confidence. You don't need to get the person to like you. Instead, show a little tough love, which leads into my next tip...

2. Hold each student accountable. When you say "bend your front knee deeper" in Warrior II and the student doesn't budge, make eye contact, gesture or demonstrate the knee bend, and don't move your eye contact away from the student until he responds. If the eye contact doesn't work, walk right over to the student and guide his knee into place.

3. Speak to what is coming up. If students aren't taking the class seriously and are joking around, speak to the seriousness of taking care of their body. Speak to the choice that they made to be here. Yes, maybe Coach sent you, you signed up for this recovery program but did not know it included yoga, or even your wife dragged you here. But in all truth, you made the choice to be a part of the team, a part of the program, or to give in to your wife. So now you can embrace your choice, move forward, and be open to the possibilities your practice (the decision you made) can offer you. Or you can choose to fight it the whole way through, and never get this hour of your life back. Bring them into a Warrior II hold or Half Pigeon and speak to letting go of resistance and what is then possible in the pose - as well as in your life - once you experience that letting go.

4. Set ground rules or guidelines. If I am working with a new group, especially one that has never done yoga, I find it helps to set some ground rules at the very beginning, that should be reviewed each class. Just like kids need structure in the classroom, new yoga students need structure for their class. Here are the ground rules I often use:
   1) Everyone practices. Even if you have an injury, are tired, can't do tree pose - whatever the excuse might be - I ask all my students to practice. Yoga is accessible to anyone, and I will gladly offer modifications for injuries and circumstances. I explain that they don't need to make it "perfect" or get a pose "right." I just ask that they try. Often they will be surprised what they can do once they let their excuses be gone.
   2) Respect - for the teacher and for their fellow students. That means do not have side conversations. You can laugh, sigh, grunt, but do not be disruptive to your fellow students who are trying to enjoy themselves and get the most from their yoga experience. Respect me as a teacher by giving me your attention and following my ground rules/guidelines.
 
5. Connect - through your heart and your touch. Physical assists can start to break down the barrier between student and teacher. If your intention while assisting is to support and help, a student will feel that when you touch them. Don't go overboard or get creepy, but don't be afraid to get in their and help the student connect to her asana and her body. Also create a heart connection. Allow your students to see you for who you really are. Drop the yoga teacher script and be real. They will appreciate that and want to give you more of a real effort from themselves.

6. Keep it light. Yoga can be fun - even when working through tough poses and serious issues (like resistance). You need to step in with tough love at times, but balance that with a light-heartedness and playful approach. Remember to smile.... BIG!

I find that students with resistance start to warm to yoga the more they practice it. It's like during each session a layer is peeled away. Stay committed to your intention and you will make a difference in all your students' lives.