Page 158 - Adhiyoga Purana

ensured personal attention, enabling her to refine poses to near perfection before teaching them. She valued the detailed explanations of yoga theory, asanas, their meanings, and their benefits. Though she suggested pre-prepared written exams, she acknowledged that she was far better prepared than most yoga teachers in the USA. His training made her physically stronger, more confident, and willing to attempt difficult poses she once thought impossible.
April 2004 – Maturing as a Teacher
Didi now stood as a confident yoga teacher, able to recognize her students’ limits and guide them safely. She learned that perfection in a pose is rare due to the many subtle elements involved, but the journey toward it builds strength and awareness. Adhiyogi taught her to read her students’ breathing, posture, and tension to prevent strain and injury.
His philosophical teachings — drawn from Patanjali, Iyengar, and others, as well as his own aphorisms — enriched her understanding. He also modeled generosity, often teaching students who could not pay, a principle Didi carried into her own teaching.
November 2007 – Applying the Knowledge Beyond the Studio
By 2007, Didi was applying her training beyond the yoga studio. During a cruise to Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize, she delivered a successful yoga lecture to the Tuskegee Veterinarian Medical Alumni Association. Many attendees were inspired to join yoga classes afterward. She credited her ability to do this to the training and resources provided by Adhiyogi, and she continued reading the books he had given her, supplementing them with her own purchases to deepen her yoga education.
December 2012 – Teaching with Confidence and Precision
Years into her career, Didi continued to value and apply Adhiyogi’s teachings. His simple yet powerful cues — “happy face, soft neck, mouth closed” — became her tools for assessing whether students were straining. She emphasized leaving ego at the door, preventing injuries caused by competition in asana practice. His training equipped her to observe, evaluate, and adjust her teaching for each student’s capacity.
She remained grateful for the library of resources he provided and the foundation he gave her as a teacher. Her training with Adhiyogi allowed her to carry forward the tradition of safe, thoughtful, and philosophy-rich yoga instruction.
158