Part One: How can I find the right yoga teacher ?

The motivation for editing this article comes from reading books by TKV Desikachar and A.G. Mohan. Much of their messages encouraging yoga teachers and practitioners , have led me to frequent reflection and self-examination. Compared to earlier teaching philosophies, it makes one lament how modern yoga, despite its popularity, has often devolved into a superficial customer-instructor formality.

Over the coming months, I will continue to share insights from these sources with you, which may bring us greater inspiration.

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Collectors or Connectors ?

Today there are also too many choices.  In ancient times there was only one teacher.  As we say, many people are “collectors” but not “connectors.”  That is why many people have not truly benefited from yoga.  

There is, however, a current problem with yoga.  Many people don’t know how they should really practice.  It appears to me there is a problem with the way is taught; something seems missing.  As it is presented nowadays, it is not very clear how one can practice yoga.  There are so many different schools, and every school appears to emphasize different things.  Is it yoga if you follow certain training courses, read books, and attend seminars on different topics?

Today, yoga students read lots of notes, do some postures, meditate on various topics. In our tradition, the strength of yoga derives its power from the relationship between the teacher and the student.  If the relationship is not there, then yoga has no meaning.

There are three types of connection.  One is the connection of the student with the teacher.  Then there’s the teacher’s connection with the student.  Finally, there is mutual connection, which is the ideal.  The teacher moves toward the student, and the student moves toward the teacher.  This is not a passive process.

I recently called a student of mine because I wanted to see him.  Although he is a busy and important person, he said, “Your wish is my command.”  This is the way he sees the teacher.  So he said, “I will cancel something and be there at 7:30 p.m.”  I was so touched.  I have never taken advantage of my influence, but this illustrates something.  For me, the connection between the student and the teacher is the foundation.  Techniques are superficial structures, something that is put on the surface.  But I am not sure whether such fundamental relationships still exist in the contemporary world of yoga.

The confidence this student had in me came as a result of the success of the work we did together.  For this work, one has to have competence.  It is not enough merely to do some postures.  We should know our students, and we should understand their mental or psychological structures.  We must then design a practice just for them and observe them doing it.  As soon as they start to practice in this way regularly, there will be results.  These are some of the factors leading to a deep relationship.

Building a relationship is difficult.  It takes time to build confidence and trust.  This is not easy.  India, there is a saying: Only four ears must hear — teacher and student.  That is why in transformation there is only one connection: teacher-student, one to one.  They say in Sanskrit, if you want to learn something that will help you transform, it is like surgery.  One doctor cannot operate on several people at the same time.  This setting and ambience should be confidential.  Not only should it be confidential, it should appear confidential.   Like when I closed the door for our session.  Only you and I are here.  The resistance to such a close relationship is often enormous.  There are lots of problems, like possible shame and questions of trust.  Not everyone who has gone through yoga has been transformed. 

Quoted from book: Freud and Yoga by T.K.V Desikachar and Hellfried Krusche

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Today, the figure of the yoga teacher is no longer always perceived as a guide to something deeply sacred. And by “sacred,” we are not talking about dogma or belief, but about that intimate connection to our true nature—to who we really are—within the greater whole: that living manifestation that encompasses animals, plants, minerals... and, of course, human beings.

Yoga, in its essence, reminds us that we have a unique place, a specific function in this vast whole. But over time, this understanding has gradually been lost. It has been transformed, even distorted, into forms that sometimes give the illusion of awakening... without carrying the truth.

In today's world, humans have often taken on a disproportionate role, as if they had detached themselves from this natural harmony. The basest instincts have taken over where higher values should guide us. Sometimes, the student even thinks they know more than the teacher.

Today, too often, the role of the yoga teacher is limited to teaching a series of technical movements, sometimes sophisticated, but which mainly provide temporary well-being. However, yoga, in its depth, is much more than just a form of relaxation. It is a gateway to inner transformation. An experience that can sometimes shake us up, reveal things, destabilize us—in order to better awaken what lies dormant within us.

The society we have built pushes us towards ever greater immediate comfort, towards an ease that ultimately distances us from our inner power. It feeds illusions, and in these illusions, human beings shrink.

Leaving a yoga class or retreat should not necessarily be synonymous with “well-being.” It can also mean having gone through a profound process, stirring up buried layers, encountering areas of darkness—in order to better illuminate them.Yoga, of course, must be adapted to each individual. But it is normal for it to confront us, without ever becoming harsh. In the simplicity of what is, it opens up a space to truly see. And seeing, in a world full of distractions and appearances, is not always easy. 

Yoga, of course, must be adapted to each individual. But it is normal for it to challenge us, without ever becoming difficult. In the simplicity of what is, it opens up a space to truly see. And seeing, in a world full of distractions and appearances, is not always easy.

Today, even correcting a student and telling them the truth—through a word, a look, an observation—can seem like a challenge. It has become so rare to receive feedback without becoming defensive. And yet, it is perhaps through these small gestures, this authentic presence, that true teaching is still transmitted.

There are two types of teachers. Those who tell you what you want to hear and those who tell you what you don't want to hear.                

– T.K.V Desikachar