As I was progressing in this journey of becoming a yoga
instructor, I started to notice that my personal practice was getting
neglected. I was used to practicing yoga daily, including a much-needed meditation
at the end of each practice. This practice kept me balanced and started my day
of right. However, the more classes I started to teach the more I felt slightly
“burnt out” and started to replace my personal practice with my classes. I soon
realized what a destructive mistake this was. I didn’t have that collectiveness that I used to have and my
days seemed more stressful. But to me, I was the only one that was suffering
from my lack of personal practice, or so I thought…
I have learned that as a teacher, keeping a regular personal
practice on the side is vital not only for yourself, but for your
students. In the end, your success
as a teacher comes down to your personal practice. It starts on your own mat.
Once I realized this, I started to feel like a failure as a
teacher. How could I preach to others the importance of personal practice, when
I myself wasn’t doing so? It
wasn’t until I started to be more diligent about stepping on to my own mat that
my opportunities as a teacher skyrocketed. I was able to experiment with
different asanas that I could use later in my classes. I was learning to
experience both the physical and emotional reactions that many of my students
were experiencing. I transformed
from merely reciting a routine, to living the practice with my students.
One of my most rewarding classes was when I started to mold
my classes around my students. One individual came to me with questions about a
sore lower back. That night I came home and experimented with poses to help
ease her pain and strengthen the muscles at hand. The next class I was able to
teach a vinyasa series that was tailored to her needs. I was able to give her what she needed
through experimenting first on my own mat.
Needless to say, once learned this “secret” to teaching
yoga, my classes were transformed. It helped me to have a new vision and
appreciation for yoga and for my students. It also helped me to have more compassion for my students as
I was experiencing it with them rather than merely instructing them. Finally, I
feel as if it has helped me to establish my own unique style of teaching. To me
this is one of the most valuable gifts I could have received during this
process. It has planted a seed of confidence in myself; confidence that I hope
can keep me going in this journey, long after my certification is complete.
-Namaste
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