“Yoga is an ocean”, these are words of B. K. S. Iyenger, one of the most learned yogi of our time. ocean of knowledge that one can never consume completely, and an ocean of efforts that one can make in learning it. A person can spend a lifetime in learning yoga, yet he can never say that he has learned everything there is to learn about yoga.
In addition to that, what Yogi B. K. S. Iyengar meant was that it requires an ocean of patience in learning the process thoroughly. First a great deal of patience is required in learning yoga; then in practicing it on regular basis; and lastly in teaching yoga to others. Therefore, the first thing is to learn to develop patience in one’s character, whether you want to become a yoga teacher by taking yoga teacher training in Rishikesh or are just a beginner, starting your yoga journey from a local studio.
As a yoga teacher, you must have compassion in your nature, as it will allow you to conduct your class with firmness and empathy. And only with patience you can build these qualities in your character and develop other necessary skills that a yoga teacher needs to have. You barely need to make an effort to keep up with your own pace. But teaching yoga requires you to understand the limits of others by broadening your awareness. And undoubtedly, teaching yoga requires more patience than learning it.
As a yoga student,it is necessary that you primarily concentrate on your own yoga practice instead of envying other practitioners who can do challenging poses. If you will not let yourself get distracted by this, then soon enough you will see that you are able to do all the challenging poses by yourself.
While teaching yoga, you must have the patience to accept the fact that each student of yours is on a different level and requires different amount of time and effort in learning the same thing. In a yoga class, what you practice is a lesson for your students. Therefore, you must take everything slowly and step by step, even if you are repeating it for the 15th time, to make sure that every student of your class has understood the pose and its implication.
A 200 or 300 hours yoga teacher training could be enough to learn all sorts of yoga poses, but not to become a teacher. This is process of awakening that continues even when you are off the mat. The more you learn about yoga, the more you find there is to learn. And then you truly understand why yoga is called as an ocean. But again, patience is required to first, accept this fact then to tread upon the yogic path.
To have patience may often seem difficult, because we do not know our true capabilities. Through yoga, we become aware of ourselves and come to realize our true potential, and that awareness builds patience in us. One can see it as a cycle of learning; patience comes with yoga practice and with patience we learn more about yoga.