EPISODE 286

Teaching and Demonstrating with Physical Limitations [On-Air Coaching Call]

with Holly Williams

Holly is a yoga teacher with physical limitations who has concerns about balancing her physical abilities with the needs of her students. Many of her students rely heavily on visual cues and she wonders whether she’s doing them a disservice by not being able to demonstrate everything she teaches. In this candid conversation, we explore the role of demonstration in yoga, the value of teaching with limitations, and the unspoken power dynamics between teachers and students.

Episode Highlights

Holly is a yoga teacher with physical limitations who has concerns about balancing her physical abilities with the needs of her students. Many of her students rely heavily on visual cues and she wonders whether she’s doing them a disservice by not being able to demonstrate everything she teaches. In this candid conversation, we explore the role of demonstration in yoga, the value of teaching with limitations, and the unspoken power dynamics between teachers and students.


EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
01:01 Holly’s story of finding yoga and becoming a teacher
03:49 Specific physical limitations and how they impact students.
05:20 The balance of giving student students what they want vs what they need
08:44 Student agency – who chooses whom?
12:22 Vulnerability as a superpower
16:11 Students who refuse to modify or use props
21:08 Navigating studio expectations
30:03 Final thoughts and the need for representation in yoga classes


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