Day 289 Intention ~ Accept Differences

Day 289 Intention ~ Accept Differences

I'm not talking about differences as in black/white, man/woman, gay/straight, Republican/Democrat or any other combo you can think of, I am really speaking from a yoga teacher perspective. I like to go to different classes led by a variety of teachers. It's interesting to learn different ways to get into different poses and here the how & why of it all. There are differences from what I have been taught. Every time. It doesn't mean that that teacher is wrong, it's just different. 

Sometimes I like the different ways, sometimes I don't. I tend to adapt things depending on how it makes my body, mind & spirit feel after practicing them. If someone else's methods don't feel good, I don't adopt them. But, I still accept that their method is good for some people.

As a yoga teacher, I encourage you to go check out all sorts of classes and teachers and find what works best or worst for you! What challenges you, not only physically, but emotionally, or even spiritually. Find that teacher (yes, there may be several & many styles of yoga) and keep practicing. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 260 Intention ~ Say No With No Guilt

Day 260 Intention ~ Say No With No Guilt

I am a "yes" person, that is for sure. So much so that I tend to overtax myself physically, mentally, emotionally to say yes to people when they need me. 

This creates a couple of problems: 

1. this taxes me physically, mentally & emotionally

2. People take for granted that I will say yes all of the time

I sub for teachers all of the time. I hate canceling a class because there's no sub available. I think it builds inconsistency for the class and eventually people start to go elsewhere. Besides, it introduces me to some students who may not have taken my class before. 

I have subbed 2 classes this week already and with 3 new classes in addition to my regular classes, that is enough. So today, when asked to sub later in the week, I said no. I felt a little guilty for a moment & then realized that people say no to me all of the time. This person has never once subbed for me when I have asked and I have always done it for her, except maybe 1 other time in all these years. 

Anyhow, that's all besides the point. The point is, I thought about it, I decided it was not something that I wanted to do because I have a busy day that day & am already feeling stressed about it and I said no. I said no and I feel good about it. Woo hoo!!

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 258 Intention ~ Listen & Learn

Day 258 Intention ~ Listen & Learn

I took a yoga class with a "new to me" teacher today. It is someone that I have known on the yoga scene for a few years now, but I have just never made it to her class. She led a beautiful class that kept me on my toes and led me to learn some new techniques. 

Yesterday I went to class with my teacher and I discovered that I seemed more receptive to being still and listening to the instructions instead of rushing into whichever posture she was signaling. It allowed me to think about how I was moving, how I felt transitioning into the pose (which, coincidentally, was the teacher today's theme) and enjoying it once I arrived. I felt more mature in a way with my practice that hasn't always been there. 

Both of these classes helped me discover things about my own practice, which is why I love to check out different teachers and different styles of yoga. There is something to be learned from each teacher and each class. It may not be your favorite all time class, but I assure you, that teacher has something to offer. 

As I came upstairs to the computer to write this, I flipped my African proverbs calendar to September 15 and it reads a Kenyan proverb:

"A listening ear leads to life but a deaf ear leads to death."

Too funny. I'm listening, I'm listening! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 243 Intention ~ Drop It

Day 243 Intention ~ Drop It

One of those days today. Started the day off subbing a class. The usual insecurities arose in me and didn't subside as I watched a few of the students walk away when they discovered that their beloved teacher was not going to be there this morning. 

Although this is an expected behavior in a substitutes world, it still doesn't feel good. I was overtired and relishing in the fact that I actually have 2 days off (in a row!) after I taught these classes today, so I became a bit distracted during the first class that, of course, was the one I was subbing. I felt like I had marbles in my mouth and unfortunately, couldn't get the vision of people walking away rather than take my class out of my mind. Good ego check for me though I suppose. 

As class went on, I started to find presence with the students who were actually there...finally! By the time my regular class rolled around, I was back on my game. 

But then as I was leaving, feelings of self-doubt crept into my being again thinking about the morning class and how I didn't feel like it was my best teaching and no wonder those people didn't want to take my class, blah, blah, blah....

But, now that I have been beating myself up for the afternoon, it's time to DROP IT! It's not serving me to talk to myself this way. We all have off days...even yoga teachers. It's okay. Move forward. And, yes, rest for a couple days before getting back to it on Tuesday! 

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 103 Intention ~ Remember It's Still New...To You

Day 103 Intention ~ Remember it's still new...to you.

...or at least it's "new" to some students that come into class. 

Some days I feel like I have said the same things over and over so many times that I feel like I have become like a broken record. I forget that students don't hear it the 17 or more times I've said something that week & frankly, they need the reminder to lengthen the side body or bend their knee or even just to breathe. 

Although it is hard to keep things sounding fresh all the time or perhaps a teacher feels like they've taught the same pose so many times that they think that there is no way this is fresh, the student is the one the class is for, not the teacher. Believe me, I learn and get things out of teaching classes too, but it's not about me...it's about the student. 

Today in class, a student that I generally only see once a week asked me if we could practice janu sirsasana, seated head to knee pose. Now I teach that in almost every class I teach, and would think that this would be one of those poses that people could get bored with, but to have this student ask if we could practice it just brought it back to the forefront that it's fresh to them...and that's who matters. 

If you find yourself getting bored with what you are saying and can't find a way to make it exciting again, change the language, or look at the student and see if they are getting it and if that doesn't work, it may just be time for a vacation. :)

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia