Back in the 90's I taught literally over a 1,000 aerobics classes. You name it, I taught it: HiLo, Scuplt, Step, Cardio-Funk, low-impact and Tri-cross training. For four years I ran the group exercise program at the University of Melbourne which meant 55 classes each week, happening in three different locations with 30 plus instructors. We held classes mainly in the basketball gymnasiums which mean we could fit over 100 people in a class.
The music would blast out of the speakers, wore a head microphone and over the four years, I averaged 45 people per class and taught 848 classes. When I ran the numbers at the end of my tenure, I was blown away by the stats...I had so many people jumping, pumping and grapevining to mixed music tapes featuring Madonna, Kylie Minogue and a Flock of Seagulls. Of course, I wore the latest attire of a thong leotard over shorts, Reeboks and the occasional wristband. I had a blast as did the 35,000 plus people that attended.
When I taught I would look out into the crowd and only truly notice if someone wasn't keeping up or getting it when they were out of sync with the rest of the group. At times you'd see people flailing in the back with a "huh?" expression and hope that the group energy would help them get through it. Often we all did look like a flock of seagulls as we worked various floor patterns across the gym. It was fun and it improved my teaching skills immensely.
When I returned to the United States in 1997, I once again took up teaching group classes, this time, not with such huge numbers but often into the 30's and as I slowly began transitioning from group exercise to yoga, the classes became smaller.
What I have learned throughout all of this is that although a large group of people moving, breathing and exercising together can be quite exhilarating and definitely motivating, it wasn't until I was in a semi-private situation that I felt I was truly able to fully teach who was in front of me. Before that, it was a bit of teaching and a lot of group leading and organization.
In creating a program that is largely based on private and semi-private sessions, I began to dive into the nuances and subtleties of a persons practice. I have the opportunity to truly get to know who my students are as well as their strengths and challenges, if they have injuries, if they've been through a traumatic experience or a life-changing event. Instead of leading them through a series of poses, I am able to teach them and as a result, their practices have begun to thrive.
I'm not knocking large group classes as I loved teaching them for years, but what I've learned is just how valuable small classes can be. In a time when yoga is growing in popularity and when people will drop into a class to check out what all the fuss is about, we as an industry offering this practice should want to ensure that everyone's experience leaves them hungry for more. One example is ensuring people are in the right class to begin with rather than the scenario where a beginner hides in the back of a non-beginners class hoping to eventually catch on. My personal intention is that every student is safe, that every student gets what they need from a class and that every student feels completely held and seen by the instructor. Additionally, the smaller scenario allows the instructor the opportunity to connect individually and to pass along their knowledge and do more than simply leading a sequence.
Feedback from students in small classes is often around how personalized the classes are and that they're willing to pay a slightly higher than average class fee in order to feel looked after. The small class experience may not suit everyone and I hope one day that there truly is something for everyone. My experience has been that such settings hold great richness from this intimate experience. Small group classes foster incredible communities of support, love and that in itself is indescribably rich.
Bigger isn't always better, so if you have a small class option in your hometown, maybe try it out and see what all the fuss is about! I promise, you won't be able to hide in the back.
No comments:
Post a Comment