I respect those teachers that encourage comfortable silence during class. The studio, community center or gym, and especially within the walls of the yoga room, might be among very few spaces where an individual gets a break from needing to have their voice heard.
The studio where I teach is a tight community of people that have been coming for years, along with many new students who get welcomed right in. The yoga room can be very chatty before class, and honestly I love it. This is how third places are grown.
But, I want to talk specifically around occasionally moments of talking directly with students while yoga is in session. There are moments in class where I welcome student feedback and questions in real time. I’m of the opinion that if one person has a question, likely many do, or would benefit from a brief discussion, or at least hearing my answer. This benefits the student by getting their needs met for a particular pose or body concern, and it also makes me a better teacher.
We as humans are limited by our own perspective and experience in yoga. We can only truly know about our own internal landscape—what our skills and challenges physically, emotionally, or mentally feels like. I learn all sorts of things from my students in the room—what comes easy to them, their challenges and how it makes them feel. However I wouldn’t know if I didn’t ask for questions.
My particular view on occasional talking in class comes from how I see the yoga room. It’s a movement lab and a space for experimentation. I might be able to speak to some ways to successfully approach a pose, but I’m not a my-way-or-the-highway kind of teacher. There is so much space in between what I do and don’t know as a teacher, and there’s always more to learn.
This isn’t to say that I don’t love participating in meditative, silent classes, because I do, and I show up often. We can only offer what only we can offer (but more on that later). A class that is allowed and encourages to ask questions is the best way I know how to teach.