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Member
Posts: 8
| I've been practising yoga for awhile now, maybe that is to my detriment as after being exposed to so much I'm starting to question a lot. Including how do I know if what I'm teaching is 'right'? Is the impression I'm giving off 'ok'? Do I really know what I'm talking about? ... Then I have a few days like the last few, where I'm cranking, tired, not drawn to my mat and then I start to question - who am I to teach? (I just heard 'who am I not to echoed in my head')
Do you have those days? Did you have those days? I feel like now the only one in my way is me, and I'm not sure how to side step myself. Days like this I feel I should just leave it behind - but I think that is ego and not spirit talking. Please share and help me coerce perfection to be my ally and not my enemy x
(Funny, I posted this and saw my signature ... answers are usually closer than we think ;-) Would still love to hear the thoughts/experiences though :-) )
Edited by twisti 2010-05-12 7:18 PM
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| HAHAHA--you KNOW I have those days...weeks...months...my last celebrity workshop has me saying "goodnight and good luck" to worrying about it. I'll teach when the spirit moves me. I'm not even renewing my Yoga Journal subscription cause I'm getting nothing out of it. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| kristi - if you didn't have those days, then I would worry. It is important to question yourself, your motives, your teaching. You need some time with other teachers to regroup and refocus. The other thing that is important is to have one primary teacher of your own and take classes often. As Bruce says, celebrity teachers at workshops and YJ won't cut it. You have to dig deep and do your own work in order to have anything of value to offer your students.
OTOH, sometimes you have affirming moments. I have a student who is having a heck of a time getting comfy in savasana. While I was inwardly wishing my senior teacher was there to help her last night, I used what I know (though I thought I had tried everything possible in the past) and did an unusual prop set up and adjustments that she has resisted in the past. She rewarded me with the biggest smile I've ever seen her with and that lovely "ah!" So I do know what I am doing! Hurray! Those moments are few and far between, but they really help. |
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| Consider and evaluate but do not dwell. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 574
| Hey Twisti, You are right-most teachers dont know what they are doing but they believe in what they do wheter its 'right' or not or just hope it is. Some teachers like to correct, which does not allow the person to learn for themselves,but often people who correct or receive correcting believe in it. At the end of the day you know yourself better than any doctor,yogi/teacher,therapist or psychic. You can help yourself more than anyone else can. So it is beneficial to help put your students in a situation where they can learn,feel,discover for themselves (not achieved through copying a yoga routine), then student more power to help themselves rather than relying on others. If you can find way to teach your students to learn for themselves how to improve in every class (like my teacher can) then you need not worry any more, as your students will be in a state of progress and not just yoga workouts.
Peace and love |
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Member
Posts: 8
| Thanks for the pointers yoga peeps :-)
I guess the things that stand out are self evaluation and also community! It's been awhile since I've had a 'good' teacher that speaks to me and I don't go to classes a lot so need to build that sense of community. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one doubting myself and that there is something I'm just not getting ... but that's not the case, we are never as isolated as we feel.
I love what you said about putting "your students in a situation where they can learn,feel,discover for themselves (not achieved through copying a yoga routine), then student more power to help themselves rather than relying on others" vibes. It's so very important - and THAT is the hard part. Not coming up with the 'best' flow. Be present and Breathe - same thing I constantly remind my students. |
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Perfectionism holding me back!
