Personal Practice

For a long time my practice as a teacher and my practice as a yogi seemed very disconnected, school built my stress and anxiety, yoga released it.

Then I met my current yoga teacher Alie. As a yoga teacher she uses a lot of the same best practices that we do as teachers – such as differentiation, relationship-building, quiet power, humor, calmness and kindness

After seeing this connection, I thought to myself, ‘Hey, if she can motivate me to do things that I am terrified of and think I unable to do, then I can do the same in my classroom!’

Through my self-practice and reflection I was able to see the power in myself that I did not see before. It wasn’t a huge shift in what I did, but rather a shift in HOW I did it – teaching with deeper intention, devotion and perseverance, engaging my teaching practice in the same way as my yoga practice.

Alie taught me that my yoga mat is much like my life, facing challenges that I can overcome with practice and time, like the great Yogi Sri K Patthabi Jois said “Do your practice and all is coming”

With clear intention and practice I am able to meet the needs of my students and their learning styles much more holistically and with much more ease – it moves from being stressful and anxiety-ridden to a long-term practice, with many highs and lows. No matter how “great” of a teacher you are, you will always have more practice ahead of you and more learning, strength and flexibility to achieve.

Teaching, like yoga, is a fluid practice, one that is constantly changing with every new wave of students, each with different skills and different needs, each so beautiful and excellent in their own way. I impart these positive energies and emotions on my students in an attempt to influence them the way Alie has influenced me- we breathe together, learn together, practice together and achieve together.