Having taught group classes for 28 years I have learned and experienced many things. A certain feeling is present when a group of people come together and begin to move and breathe in harmony. Simply put, this feeling is one of a common connection and purpose. One of community.
What gives each group and class that special something is the collective energy brought out by the different personalities within the group. I notice when certain people are missing from a regular session…the energy shifts, not necessarily for better or worse, it’s simply different.
I remember during my yoga therapy training, speaking with a younger yoga instructor who taught at the local community college. I asked him, “how many students attend your classes?” He replied, “oh, sometimes 40 or 50”. I thought “Wow! I get excited when I have five people in my yoga classes…”. I then said to him, “I know that if I lived in a more yoga-aware area, my classes might be bigger. But, I think part of my purpose is to build a yoga community in the desert.”
Now granted, in my experience bigger is not always better. Perhaps from a bottom line perspective it is. When I was teaching at Melbourne University I’d often have over 100 participants in a Cardio Funk class that seemed to lift the roof with its sheer volume of energy…that was fun and cool! Numbers do matter, but that’s not what always makes for the most enjoyable experience.
As my teaching has evolved into the the more subtle realms of yoga, I find the quality is better when the numbers are under 10-12 people. I am able to see and sense the individuals within the group, as opposed to seeing a sea of moving bodies.
My thought for the week is around the sense of community that is present in all group classes, regardless of size. Classes and retreats offer people with a similar objective the chance to support and be supported. When someone is out with illness, injury or grief, the collective group cares about that person and supports them through the experience.
As a group gets to know one another, they help to provide greater motivation for coming to class on days when we may not feel like it. The participants become accountable to one another for making it to class.
The reason I’ve taught group classes for so many years and to so many is that it’s a dynamic process that continually challenges me as a teacher. Groups gain their own momentum and sense of support. After a while…I simply have to turn up and enjoy the ride!
So grab a friend and come along to a class. Join or begin the expansive experience of creating your own group!
To quote Jane Howard:
“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”
I agree with your thoughts about class numbers: when I started, I often had 50 people in my yoga classes at the local gym. I couldn't even see which arm was attached to which body!
Like you, I have some training in, and an affinity for, yoga therapy and as a consequence I tend to prefer teaching smaller groups, but groups nonetheless because of the community that grows out of them. Go yoga! Go yoga classes!