Be your Best :: For fellow teachers out there

Tonight a student came up to me after class and said, "That was a lovely class Erica. I really enjoyed it, you are really good. You can really tell that you put a lot into what you do."

It was such a simple statement, but it spoke volumes to me (more than she would know).

As a yoga teacher I give 110% to my students. Often times I'll come home completely exhausted, especially on a Tuesday night after teaching 4 classes. I'll be wiped out, not because of the physical exertion of the class, but the toll of the emotional and mental drain. 

​It takes big, broad shoulders to be a yoga teacher. ​

 It's necessary to nurture yourself and your own practice in order to better service your students. I was told by my mentor that I need to mediate one hour per class that I teach a week. That means that I should be mediating a whopping 9 hours a week! I'm falling miserably short, and I always seem to fabricate an excuse or say, "Well 30 minutes was enough for today!" We make time for things (or people) that are important. Ditch the excuses, roll out the mat, go to YogaGlo or simply set a alarm in the middle of day to allow some quiet time free of distractions in a quiet corner of your office. 

Sometimes you lay everything you have on the mat for your class and might get one smile or a few thanks yous. Conversely, the same class on a different day might have people gushing about how excellent it was. Taking it a step further, you might finish teaching and think, Wow that was terrible, and then half the pupils are lined up to say how much something in that class spoke to them or made them immensely happy/sweaty/joyful.

Eliminate the Ego from all equations and you will be a happier and more well rounded teacher. It doesn't matter if you have 3 students or 30.... It isn't about YOU, it's about the yoga. You are simply a vehicle passing on knowledge, and it's up to the student to figure out what to do with it.

EMK