It’s that time of year again! Starting in October, The Mat’s yoga teacher trainees will lead weekend classes open to the community. The studio refers to these as karma classes – you may start seeing on their social media or when looking ahead on the class calendar – and they offer the trainees a chance to practice teaching a class.
Teaching a class can be challenging. It’s one thing to build up a personal practice where time may not be a factor for how long a practice is, or offer a session for a small group of friends you’re comfortable with. Teaching a class at a studio opens up teaching strangers, offering cues on the spot based on what you, as the teacher, observe. Filling up time if the class goes a little quickly (or adjusting time if the class is at risk of running long). There are a lot of moving parts to keep in mind.
I highlight a few of those things to frame why I think the karma classes are so valuable. A student teacher can certainly invite friends and family to take class. But with the karma classes on the schedule, members of the community may sign up to take the teacher trainee’s class. I’ve talked so much over the years about the community found at The Mat, and the karma classes are such a great opportunity to experience this. The community is supportive, and – having been up at the front of the room teaching a karma class – it’s encouraging to look out around the room to see smiling, encouraging faces.
There’s another practical component to the karma classes, beyond teaching the class itself. There’s the set-up, greeting students and checking them in, helping to answer questions about the studio or what props might be needed. Since The Mat continues to offer a live, virtual option, these karma classes also allow practice for teaching via an online meeting platform simultaneously with the in-person class.
Along with teaching one, I’ve attended some karma classes over the years and love seeing the support from the community with such great, positive feedback after class. There’s some great energy in the community classes, and a fun way to spend an afternoon. Karma classes are scheduled on the weekends, beginning October 11, and are free to sign up! Wrapping up the karma classes on November 9 is a special “round robin” style class where all the teacher trainees teach a portion of class. That’s alwasy fun to see the creativity and camraderie the group shares. Check out the class schedule to learn more.
This is the part of a series of posts for The Mat Yoga Studio, sharing my thoughts and observations as a student only. The views and opinions are my own experience.
