Be YoGeek

I know that when I did my first teacher training I could not write notes fast enough. I worked so hard at writing down pristine notes and did my best to sound out all those sanskrit words that I was hearing for the first time, hoping with all my being that I would be able to decipher what in the world I wrote when I got home later. I got a little better at it as I continued doing more trainings. I do believe there is a part of our brain that absolutely gets a work out when we write notes like this. I know that it helped me to seal some of the information within me as I did this.

I also know that my rabid note taking took away from some of the experiential aspects of being in the yoga trainings. I most definitely know that I missed some pretty yummy meditations, pranayama or simply some of the sweet bliss that comes from truly being 'present' in a pose, 'cause I was writing, writing, writing :)

I have to say that with some of the announcements from Apple refining their iPod line, it would have been a teeny bit easier to let go of the writing and just be. The new iPod Nano has to be the device that I've been longing for: a built in mic for recording sessions, a camera for recording demos, it's small and the price is really hard to beat! I think this little guy, as much as it's going to be great for yoga teacher trainees in their training, or at workshops, it's also going to be fantastic for seasoned teachers. The nano is a great simple little device that teachers can use to create simple and quick new media content, very efficiently. I venture to say it's a great device to invest in if you are deciding to start your own podcast. I'm going to have to get myself this little guy to see how it works out as a supplementary device to use for the production of my podcast :)

Is all this ease of use all good for yoga teachers?

That depends on your point of view. Social media, new media, social networking, picture and video sites, blogs, etc. are really changing the landscape of what it means to teach yoga in 2009. I don't believe as yogis we can deny this incredible progress, and we would be shooting ourselves in the foot if we tried to stop it. Our students will be bringing recording devices to our classes, taking pictures of us and posting some of this media to social media sites, whether it be personal blogs, or very public sites like YouTube. We must remember how helpful having a recording of something was for us, or having a picture of that pose we'd never seen or watching a video of one of our master teachers do an adjustment, simply so we could refine ourselves. Yet, at the same time we must draw boundaries regarding this media and request that the integrity of the space and the integrity of the teachings remain intact. You have got to be clear of what your boundaries are in your own classroom. 

How do you feel about these things? I would love to hear your experiences regarding class recordings, privacy or any other issues that technology may bring up in your yoga. 

How about that iPod Nano? Nice :D