The Student & Teacher Checklist for Good Vibrations
As we continue our seasonal look at harmonizing our yoga practice, inner world, and outer world, we are nearing the end of the early summer Fire element and beginning the transition into late summer's Earth element. Before we embrace this subtle shift in summer energies, today's blog takes a closer look at the underappreciated tongue, the Fire element sensory organ in Taoist 5 Element Theory.
What does the tongue have to do with yoga practice, you ask!?! Plenty! Have you ever been asked to chant or recite a mantra as part of yoga pracitce? Do you close off your class with Namaste, or another Sanskrit word? Does the teacher use Sanskrit names for any of the postures? Do you quietly talk to yourself during practice? Ever notice clenching your jaw at any point in yoga practice?
The tongue, underappreciated and overlooked - and probably overworked too for some of us! - is a driving force behind all of these activities. Use the following summer yoga tune-up checklist to enrich your practice and teaching with just the right amount of spice to awaken the tongue this season.
A Yoga Tune-Up Checklist for the Tongue
to Stimulate Good Vibrations!
Understand What Flames You're Fanning
Speaking stimulates Fire energy. Words can arouse passion, evoke compassion, and spark the first movement of an idea into form. In the early days of my personal yoga journey, I remember reading in a book that the most powerful words at our disposal are "I am" because they invoke action, creation, and manifestation, all Fire element attributes.
Have you ever felt the power that speaking the truth embodies and conversely, the impotency of speaking a lie? Through the tongue, words connect into the heart, the energetic seat of our humanity and the driving force behind our actions. Be responsible to stoke words of loving kindness that promote peace, truth, generosity, acceptance, and benevolence.
When I had my studio I was very particular about the conversations we had at the studio. I didn't want to create a space for complaining or gossiping. Minimal venting was inevitable because students come to a yoga studio seeking refuge from everyday stress and sometimes sharing a tough day or difficult situation is helpful in releasing it or gaining a new perspective. But if I felt a conversation was on the slippery slope toward gossip or mean spirited, I never hesitated to redirect it and empowered my staff to do the same. This really created a supportive environment for our staff and students where everyone felt safe and respected.
Mind Your Inner and Outer Dialogue
Our words stem from our inner dialogue, whether in the form of words, thoughts, images, or emotions. A mantra, the repetition of a word or sound, can "protect the mind," as my Taoist teacher liked to say. Since energy follows thought, taming the mind distills our words and ultimately our actions.
I don't know who originally said it (various sources have been credited through the years and I've yet to discover the original source in any text), but the advice is sound:
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
On the days when inner-stillness of the mind eludes you during yoga pracitce, try to focus on a single a word, phrase, or sound. Control the mind, control your words, and watch your practice grow.
Pro-Tip for Yoga Teachers
Our spoken words are the most effective tool we have to connect with our students once they enter into the practice space, but before the actual class begins. This is also why I liked to keep my thumb on the pulse of the vibe of the conversations happening at the studio. Positive words and honest conversations help create an open mindset for a powerful yoga practice. The tongue, with the words that flow from it, is a gatekeeper of what passes in and out of the body-mind-soul continuum.
The thoughts and conversations in which we engage before stepping onto our mats directly effects our yoga practice. A yoga teacher has a responsibility to create a space conducive for transformation. Many new students are anxious coming into their first yoga class and so enter the space with a head full of noise. Even seasoned students return to class regularly in order to help keep their heads clear.
Hold space as a leader by creating a vibe to soothe this inner-noise before students step onto the mat. Minding your own tongue will help focus your mind and set the vibrational frequency for the entire studio space.
Create Good Vibrations
To further tune into how to set the tone of the yoga space, have you ever considered why so many classes begin or end with deliberate sounds like Namaste, Om, Shanti, or a chant or mantra? Sanskrit words are considered to have not only meaning as a word, but to hold vibrational power from the sound it makes. These vibrations are believed to penetrate deeply into the subtle body where they recalibrate our subconscious, and then transform us from the inside out.
In 2005/06, I competed in a yoga competition (a heated debate topic I'll save for another day). I was the female champion in my mid-Atlantic region which I then represented in the national competition in Los Angeles.
At the top of the routine, participants were required to bow and exchange a Namaste with the judging panel. I was fortunate to have a coach who was a sports psychologist, yoga teacher, and a shaman. She worked with me specifically on my bow and Namaste exchange. This process not only changed the entire tone of my competition routine, it transformed how I connected with my students at the close of class through exchanging Namaste.
To this day, when I finish class with this exchange, I recall and employ the lessons imparted to me so many years ago. A great power and beauty resides in the vibrational exchange of these words between the teacher, students, and classmates.
Pro-Tip for Yoga Teacher & Students:
The next time you find yourself participating in a Namaste, or other comparable exchange at the end of class, be fully present. I understand that sometimes we are tired, or feeling in the zone and barely there, or distracted, or rushed, or a myriad of other possibilities. Accept the words from the speaker as a gift. Offer your own words as an act of service, an offering to the receiver. Mindful intent coupled with the power of vibration can enrich the final moments of yoga class with enduring benefits that last long past final savasana.
In Closing: Summer Yoga Tune-Up Checklist
In terms of physical health, both Eastern and Western doctors examine the tongue as an indicator of health. We can play our own part to monitor the tongue ourselves to empower our mental, emotional, and spiritual health, and to benefit those around us.
Understand What Flames You're Fanning
Mind Your Inner and Outer Dialogue
Create Good Vibrations
Be mindful in your words, deliberate in your actions, and gentle in your approach.
Have a great week!
Namaste,
Lara
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