Day 361 Intention ~ Get Reinspired

Day 361 Intention ~ Get Reinspired

 

 

I suffer from end-of-the-year-itus right now. I am excited that I have only three more classes in 2013. There is this thought in my head that come next Thursday when I am back to teaching, that everything will be new again just at the turn of a calendar page.

 

Why wait?!

 

Well, much to my surprise, instead of leaving 2013 feeling burned out and wanting to just hole up and hide for a month, I am already feeling renewed.

 

How did this happen?

 

Well, inspiration can come in the simplest ways. I needed to drive my husband to work this morning because his car is in the shop. I don't have class til later this afternoon, so I decided to watch a yoga documentary this morning. As I listened to different yoga masters talk about yoga, I started to feel that spark inside again. I started to realize that yoga is so important, not only for me but for millions of people. It is such a healing and growth tool. It is simply transformational and amazing.

 

Once the film was finished, I took George for a walk. As we walked through the snowy streets, I felt inspiration. Just being outside in the fresh air with a being who is so present there is no ignoring it.

 

I came home and started to write notes for an article that I have been struggling with conceptually for a long time now. I rolled out my mat and am warming up my little yoga room as I type this, and again, I am awed by the life I get to live and create and connect in.

 

Til tomorrow...

 

Shanti,

 

Marcia

 

 



Day 356 Intention ~ Teach My Class

Day 356 Intention ~ Teach My Class

This morning I subbed a yoga basics class. I have a lot of respect for the regular teacher of this class and think she is a great teacher. I find teaching basics harder than other classes, so I like to sub this class to keep me on my game.

I teach this class differently than the regular teacher, but if I tried to teach just like her, it wouldn't feel natural. Although most of the students have actually been practicing for years, it is still a basics class.

At this point, I know most of these students & I think they enjoy having a different teacher from time to time. I hope so anyhow.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 317 Intention ~ Give My Best Effort

Day 317 Intention ~ Give My Best Effort

Often when I am teaching yoga, I try to remind people that every time you come to your mat it is going to be different than the last time. It may be harder, it may be easier. A pose you were a superstar at getting into last week, may not be available to you today. It's just the way it is, but don't attach to that too much, just give your best effort and that's all anyone can ask. 

Some days the best effort may not be as intense as the day before. That's okay too.

Today I took a spynga class, a combination of spinning and yoga. Thirty minutes on the bike, then 30 minutes of yoga. I felt like I was giving so much effort, but I just didn't have the juice today. Everything (except savasana ~ corpse pose) felt difficult. Bike & on the mat. 

It's just the way it goes. I did the best I could do for today without overexerting and hurting myself. One of the keys to practice is learning that fine balance of getting to your edge, which changes daily, and pushing it too far. But, as we practice, we continue to learn awareness of our bodies and how far we should go that day. 

Be happy with where you are at, give your best effort & it's a win-win! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 314 Intention ~ Make It A Sunday Fun Workday

Day 314 Intention ~ Make It A Sunday Fun Workday

It used to be that Sunday was my only day off. That is still usually the case, but really, even if were doing stuff like chores at home, it's still work. We just aren't getting paid. 

Today, I am working. I already wrote an article for Examiner.com, I am subbing a class and then I am off to the JAK studio for one more workday before they head off to the Grand Central show for the next 6 weeks. 

It's Sunday. That's all. It's just the name of the week. No hang ups. The only downfall is that John is home on Sunday, but we hung out all day yesterday. 

Luckily, I enjoy all of my jobs: writing, teaching and whatever task the ladies of JAK will have me doing. Writing makes me feel like I am purging a little bit. Releasing words from my head for all of you to see. Teaching is just inspiring for me. Getting to help people get stronger and feel better, for some, just reteaching them to breathe and letting them know it will be okay is a fantastic feeling. Working at JAK is so completely different from anything else I do that it is so good for me to expand my horizons. I also get to work with two of my best friends, so there is always lots of laughter AND I get to spend time with them to boot. Win-win. 

So, although it's Sunday and I will be working all day, I am happy. It will be fun & there's no use to getting hung up on what day of the week it is anyhow. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 300 Intention ~ Just Do It

Day 300 Intention ~ Just Do It

Can't believe today is day 300! Wow, this year is flying by!!

Today, I am using another tagline, but it really rang true for me this morning. 

I have been wanted to get to a full Ashtanga Primary Series that is offered on Sunday mornings at one of the studios where I teach for a long time now. Over the summer, I was gone so much or subbing on Sunday mornings, so it just wouldn't happen. This morning when I woke up, I started looking to see what was offered at closer studios later in the day...then I realized I had enough time to get to Berea (about a 40 minute drive) and that I should just do it!

So I did.

And, I need to do that more often. It's nice to be led by an instructor since most of my Ashtanga practice is at home. It is also nice to hear/learn the transitions, since that is the part I am not sure about teaching sometimes. 

It was a great way to start the day...and the week!

So, if you want something, go for it! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 299 Intention ~ Teach, Write, Love

Day 299 Intention ~ Teach, Write, Love

Sorry, couldn't help the little reference to Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, but the goal today really is to teach, write & love. We have been out the last two Friday nights...out too late for me, who has to actually work on Saturdays. I don't do well when I don't get enough sleep, so teaching is always a little off when we go out on a Friday. 

It is also my two year anniversary with Examiner.com, which is exciting, but also makes me want to write a new article...and work on the backlog of ideas that I have jotted down in different notebooks. 

And I want to do all that I do today with some love in it. Teaching, talking with the people I encounter, share it with my animals and with John. If you can't do something with love in your heart, why do it?!?!?

Til tomorrow (for Day 300!!)...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 276 Intention ~ Plug Away Gracefully

Day 276 Intention ~ Plug Away Gracefully

Today is going to be nuts. Somehow, well I know how, I am teaching 6 classes. I do usually teach 5 on Thursdays, which is already too many. I think that 4 should be any teachers limit, but, of course, I have this one day that I teach 5. Today though, it is 6. Luckily, I have a few hours break in the middle of the day to regroup. 

My goal in these classes is to maintain grace as I teach and not start to get abrupt or lazy when I start getting tired. This will prove more of a challenge today as I have been suffering from horrible allergies all week, so I already don't feel myself. 

But, enough whining! I am just hoping to have the strength to compose all of my classes today with grace.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 253 Intention ~ Get Back In The Swing Of Things

Day 253 Intention ~ Get Back In The Swing Of Things

Trying to get back to normal. Still feeling pretty tired and out of it. Cleaned up a bunch of stuff from the trip. I also went through and cleaned out the fridge from anything that may have gone bad since we left. Got accounting done...for this week anyhow. 

Now, some yoga practice is needed. Of course, like every time I go to an outdoor festival, I bring my yoga mat with intentions of practicing. Almost every time, I don't. This time, in my defense, they didn't post the times on any schedule. I would get an update from the app on my phone after I had missed it to go to class. Oh well. So it goes sometimes. 

Today's practice will consist of some twists to help get the kinks out and squeeze my organs a bit. Detox please!! 

Also some energizing back bends to wake me up a little bit more. 

Hopefully after that, I will feel more awake to go teach class this evening...I hope so! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 239 Intention ~ Just Do It

Day 239 Intention ~ Just Do It

For fear of sounding like a Nike ad, that is my mantra today! 

Sometimes when I am going to go sub a class, I get myself all worked up about it, which really, if I just go teach my class, it will all be fine. Trying to be like the regular teacher is not worth the stress. Sure, consistency is important, but at the same time, if you lose who you are to try to teach like another, the class is likely to become disjointed and feel insincere. 

So, today, I'm just going to do it. 

Practicing truthfulness or satya, not necessarily how Patanjali meant it, but what it will mean for me...today, in this modern world. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 214 Intention ~ Remember It's Already Inside

Day 214 Intention ~ Remember It's Already Inside

We have everything we need inside of us already. It's just waiting for us to tap into it. I still forget this and get nervous sometimes when I am about to teach students that don't already know me. This was how I felt this morning and then luckily, in a moment of clarity, I realized that I just need to teach my yoga. I already know what I am doing. Trying to teach like someone else is silly...and inauthentic. 

Stay true to yourself, stay open to others and teach from your heart, knowing that you already have the tools to live, teach, and love this life...whatever it is you do.

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 206 Intention ~ Work From the Heart

Day 206 Intention ~ Work From the Heart

I think as a yoga teacher, I often find myself worrying about delivering a quality class to my students while keeping it interesting for them also. Sometimes I stress about this so much that the class could then turn into exactly the opposite of the goal. I have often laughed at myself overthinking classes and getting stressed...over yoga. 

It took some time, and it was something that I was aware of the whole time, but once it resurfaces, it all flows together again, and is one piece of advice that I have for newer teachers ~ to teach from the heart. People will feel your sincerity and appreciate that much more than you trying to impress them with fancy sequences that were put together haphazardly or to try to "show what you know" to the students. 

In any line of work or project or passion that you have, if you work from the heart as you do it, that love and sincerity will be visible to whomever sees it. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 72 Intention ~ Teach From My Heart

Day 72 Intention ~ Teach From My Heart

It happens to us all no matter what type of work we do...some days we are just feeling it more than other days. Teaching yoga is no different. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed or leave the house. This morning was one of those mornings, it may be the slight congestion I was feeling in my chest, or the need for more sleep, but I just didn't want to get up. 

But then I think about my students. I try to teach a class that I would want to attend. The students give me the energy and excitement to just flow from my heart, offering them whatever little knowledge I have, so that they can get a little closer to their inner Self. I am always happy when I see a students smile after class knowing that I gave it my heart and was as pure as I could be for them, for yoga, for me. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 54 Intention ~ Don't Over Think It

Day 54 Intention ~ Don't Over Think It

Just do it. Sometimes when I get a little anxious about something, I completely psych myself out and then 1. I completely blow it because I'm nervous or 2. it all goes fine and I was upset over nothing. 

So, this morning, when going to sub for my amazing teacher, I started to psych myself out, thinking that people will be disappointed she wasn't there. I put myself through this every time I sub for her and it's exhausting. So, when that anxiety started to hit me this morning, I stopped, took a breath and had a little chat with myself. Stop thinking about it and go do it. It's 75 minutes of this long life and not worth the stress. I already had a class ready to teach and the reality is, I know what I am doing! 

So, I got to the studio and people were all friendly and everything went great. Once again, stressing for nothing. So, from here on out (hopefully!), don't over think it and just go for it! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia