Teaching People Not Poses: 12 Principles for Teaching Yoga with Integrity

by Jay Fields

Jay Fields, M.A. RYT believes in the power of yoga to help people to connect to their humanity as well as to their divinity. Having taugh yoga since 1998 and having earned a master’s degree in Integral Transformative Education, she doesn’t just teach poses, she teaches the whole person. Jay teaches classes and leads workshops for teachers and students nationally and internationally, and mentors other yoga teachers in how to be more human when they teach.

Genres: Nonfiction

86 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Èlia Viader · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the bests!

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and beautiful guide to being an authentic yoga teacher and human being!

[Krissie Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise. Insightful. Nice, quick read that made me consider why I teach the way I teach. I will keep this as a resource to revisit when I feel stale or discouraged.

[Stephanie Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see buying this for a new yoga teacher and them coming back with a huge thank you. Short, yes, but packed with solid wisdom.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very short read at only 70 pages (including spaces between sections) but I read it over a period of 4 months as part of my yoga teacher training, focusing on only one section at a time. I think Fields makes a some great points and has a lot of wisdom to offer from her experience. Sometimes her anecdotes came across as a little boastful and her language got to be a bit much, but overall she pulls it off. Definitely one to keep as a reference for the future.

[Sarah Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book but I wanted to love it. The title resonated with me so deeply. Unfortunately, I am rather new in my Yoga Teacher Training journey and so many of these principles still felt too abstract for me to grasp. They sound great on paper, but I'm struggling to put them in to action. That said, I look forward to revisiting and rereading this book soon - and feel nearly confident so much of this will resonate with me in new and helpful ways once I begin leading classes.

[Kandie Florin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read with useful information

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and a little too much of Fields' personal stories, but a nice reminder of what is necessary to bring in to the room.

[Barbara Dos Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book it’s very inspiring and I love the 12 topics. What makes me feel out of place reading this book is that I’m still a new teacher so some things are a lot to digest regarding teaching.

[Rebecca Prosch · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wanker" page 37, from the 7th principle of teaching people, not poses 😙🤌

2nd book finished for my trainer certification

[Susan Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent treatise on teaching yoga. And, Jay is a W&M graduate.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am re-reading this amazing book. I have never finished it, even though I've picked it up a million times.
What happens is I read a few pages, stop, take extensive notes, and then my attention gets hijacked, so I've never read it straight through.

In some reviews of this book, new yoga teachers have expressed frustration with what Jay Fields is asking yoga teachers to do, and I agree.

My first thought was, "It takes a really long time to be able to riff with no notes, or to meet yourself in the moment when leading a class!"

There's a lot of pressure when first starting out teaching. Lots of stuff Fields is talking about takes years to understand, let alone, pull off. New yoga teachers can't do sophisticated yoga ninja tricks. This stuff takes time.

What a new yoga teacher can get from this book however is the simple reminder of the title: people not poses.

As soon as that's the teacher's default mindset, the class, and her role in it, transforms.
The rest will come with time.

I think every yoga teacher should read this. I think even people who aren't yoga teachers should read this. The "people first" framing can be applied everywhere, in any field, in any endeavor.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes books under 100pp seem like a rip-off, but in this case, brevity serves the subject matter. I think the only hokum-free way to put across the principles Fields offers is simply, with thoughtful questions to help teachers find their utility in their own practice. The highlights here that make this a truly inspired guide for teachers and teachers of teachers are the moments when Fields directs teachers to get away from yoga cliches, like coordinated outfits and psuedo-soothing voices. Teach as yourself, sound like yourself, and your students will come away with two gifts: the implicit idea that yoga is for everyone, not just "yoga people"; and the opportunity to enjoy or not enjoy your class, not the class you thought they would like, or the teacher you thought they needed, or the your idea of what an integrated class should be. My new year's resolution is pretty much the same every year: make new mistakes. Field's book is the perfect pep talk for me to bring new mistakes into my teaching, and for that I am very grateful.

[Amy Seiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been teaching high school art for over twenty years, and this is one of the best books about teaching I've ever read. All of these principles could easily translate to any subject matter to inspire anyone to be a more effective, more connected, and authentic teacher.
I read this in preparation for a yoga teacher training class, but it inspires me to be a better art teacher too.

[Pam Lafferty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent suggestions

I would love to take one of Kay's classes. I found her writing very inspiring,especially as a new teacher. For me her views on authenticity is the best advice. Kay's book also inspires you to get on your mat, now!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good little gem that I will read over again and again.

[Liz Filippone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only a quick read, but such a good reference for yoga teachers and even other fitness instructors.

[Susie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what I needed.

[Joey Slater-Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful little book!