When are you ready for int/adv: teacher’s perspective

By Pat Manchester

When Are You Ready to Move on to Intermediate/Advanced Classes: The Teachers’ Perspective

Eventually my curiosity about this question moved beyond my own practice. I talked (separately) with Stephanie, Angela, and Christina about their perspective – what do they suggest, and what should a student be asking her/himself. Each teacher began by saying, “That is such a personal question.” And then their answers went in different directions – but were completely compatible.

“If a student asked me if she was ready, I’d say exactly what I said to you,” Angela told me. “You have to know your own boundaries, and know when to modify if necessary.” She went on to say that a student should have a good knowledge of the basic postures, and know them when they are called out.

“I include so much anatomy in my basics classes; I’ve become so interested in anatomy and I ask my students to be so aware of it, that I often think, ‘This is really hard,’ when I’m teaching a basics class.” (This brings up a point that I’ve often heard all three Mala owners make: basics is not easy. Often poses are held longer in order to build strength, and the slower flow makes cheating – i.e. sloppy up dogs – almost impossible.) Acknowledging that some students take classes at different levels, Angela asks, “Even if you are advanced, can you go to basics and be there to learn? An advanced student will pay attention to his or her body.”

Another common thread was that practicing on a more advanced level requires dealing with the question of the role your ego plays. Speaking specifically of working with individual physical concerns, Angela said, “I ask myself, ‘Why am I choosing to struggle?’ It’s important to get the practice to fit your body, not the other way around.”

Christina put it this way: “Is your practice more of a competition against yourself, rather than a study of yourself?”

And from Stephanie: “Why are you practicing to begin with? The practice is certainly non-linear and ‘staying basic’ (as I put it) may behoove one for years and years. Are you putting pressure on yourself to perform at a certain physical level?”

Christina continued “I have seen both types of students – those who I see as wanting to move on too soon, and those who really are ready (in my mind) but aren’t asking. For the first, I want to see you here, practicing steadily. I really think it takes a year to get a good grounding. It’s really hard to absorb instructions in intermediate advanced.”

“But I have also seen this other situation where students who have practiced a fair amount and started with a physical challenge  – say, very tight hamstrings – have a hard time letting go of this initial image of themselves and practice with that image in mind, even when their practice has grown beyond that challenge. If, as their teacher you can give them that information – that can be a good time to make the transition. And, of course, all levels classes are designed to give people somewhere to go.”

Stephanie suggested that it might be time to move to a more challenging level when…

• You have a steady practice, but you no longer have “beginners mind.” You are bored, mentally or physically.

• You do the most advanced versions of poses offered in basics.

• You are confident and curious; perhaps you’d like to explore meditation, pranayama, or chanting on a deeper level.

• You’re “okay to comfortable” with “not being able to do everything” in a class.

• Your physical practice has plateaued.

She added, “This is a multi-dimensional question, and the process of answering it is an advance exercise in itself. Personally, I think that when you can go to class and not care about the level, you’re ready to move it along.”