How to Hold Space for Big Emotions as a Yoga Teacher

At the end of week 1 on the Yoga Teacher Training program I was leading, we handed out the feedback forms as usual, in order to understand how the students felt about their first week on the course and to identify if there were any areas of improvement within the schedule or for us as the teaching team.

 After the forms were handed in, I read that one of our students had asked for some more emotional and spiritual focussed sessions as well as some additional 1:1 support.

I was delighted by this feedback because I feel strongly about the inclusion of emotional processing and integration within such a transformative container as a Yoga Teacher Training course.

Off I went to design some sessions that could cater to the student's request. That evening, I found time in my weekly schedule to offer all of the students a 15 minute 1:1 session with me and I created a workshop entitled 'Emotional Release' which focussed on self-expression and conscious communication of our emotions and inner experiences.

The workshop that I put together ran as follows:

Firstly, I set an intention for the session which was 'flow and containment, expression and reflection' Next, I laid out the considerations and proposed guidelines in order to cultivate and maintain a safe space to feel for all involved.

We opened the session by sitting closely, cross legged in a circle, each with both of our hands placed on our neighbour's back breathing deeply together as a group. This activity establishes community trust and connection which is an essential foundation for feeling safe within a group sharing.

Next, I guided a small section of eye gazing between participants in order to establish presence and deepen trust between members of the group. The students found this exercise very powerful, with some being moved to tears.

One student said that she cried because of the warm and welcoming look in her partner's eyes which made her feel truly relaxed and free from the fear of judgement.

After establishing a safe and stable foundation for the space, we moved into a journalling activity which brought the student's in touch with their feelings within their inner world, the pieces that are running under the surface.

I offered 3 journal prompts for this activity which I asked the student's to write freely in response to. Then we came back together as a group and shared some of what we had written during the reflection section in order to practice voicing and expressing our feelings aloud.

The sharing was contained within a framework of a conscious communication exercise which I would like to credit to my wonderful mentor and coach Kate Lambert who is a wild and wise woman offering guidance on all things Sex, Love and Relationships.

Each time a participant shared their journal reflections, they would begin by asking to be either witnessed, celebrated, or mirrored. After sharing, the other students would respond to their request by either witnessing by truly listening, offering celebrations on what they had heard, or mirroring back a summary of what they had understood from the share. This activity offered each student the opportunity to practice asking for that they need, as well as feeling understood, and truly heard by others.

Finally, once everyone had expressed themselves and received the response that they needed, we closed the space, as we had opened it, with a closely connected circle, breathing in unison, finished off with some collective chanting of AUM.

During the course of the session, I received clarity on the 3 main themes of the workshop.

Truly felt - Circle breathing with hands on neighbour's back

Truly seen - Eye Gazing

Truly heard - Witnessing, Mirroring, Celebrating.

I am sharing this story and workshop overview with you for a couple of reasons.

1. To demonstrate the power of feedback. By asking for input from our students and responding to what we received, collectively we were able to transform and create a really important space for self-expression.

2. For those of you that hold space for others, I want you to feel empowered to facilitate safe spaces to feel for the people you work with. Please feel free to use some or all of this workshop overview as you see fit.

3. For each and everyone one of you to create safe spaces to feel within yourself. All of the activities listed above can be completed and or adapted to work outside of a group setting in order for you to feel truly felt, heard and seen.

Creating Safe Spaces to Feel - Tips & Tricks ✨

♡ Creating safe spaces to feel - A few guidelines to set the right atmosphere when holding space for others

•  Let everything be here in the space without the need to change, avoid, repress, or amplify.
•  Stay present with the experience of the person who is sharing, being mindful of your own triggers.
• Practice containing your energy by really feeling into everything that comes up for you.
• If you need to take space, take space. Feel free to leave the space, either permanently or temporarily and return to the space as and when you feel comfortable to do so.

♡ Journal prompts for inner reflection - to truly hear yourself

• I feel most connected to myself when...
• Something that I am finding challenging at the moment is...
• What I really need to feel safe to express myself fully is...

♡ Eye Gazing in a mirror - to truly see yourself

• Take a few moments to get grounded and comfortable with a mirror in front of you.\
• Open your eyes and take a few minutes to look into your own eyes and notice what you feel as you do this.
• You can close your eyes and take a small break and then repeat the exercise as many times as feels useful. 

♡ Conscious Communication - Three sentences to start building into your daily vocabulary.

• Witnessing - I hear you
• Celebrating - I am celebrating...
• Mirroring - What I hear from you is

So much love, genuinely