I recently had the pleasure of attending an Advanced Teaching Intensive with the inspiring teacher Natalie Rousseau. This training focused on the hard skills of teaching and encouraged delving deeper into the inspiration and core values of why we teach yoga with the intention to help us refine what we offer and how. This self inquiry has caused me to look deeply at what drives me to teach and run the studio. You will notice that there are a few less classes on the schedule than in the previous months and this is due to the newly recognized need for me to refine our offerings - both as a studio and as a teacher.
One of the reasons I go to a yoga class, as opposed to practicing at home or taking a class online, is to learn. I love learning and nothing inspires me more than the discovery of a new aspect of practice and all it has to offer. To create space for me to continually learn and be inspired to work with new knowledge until it becomes my own so I can share it with you in an authentic way I realize I need to teach less. I need a bit more time to plan ahead for exciting new offerings that can be delivered with enthusiasm and skill. I hope that you understand and perhaps are inspired to look at ways you can do the same for yourself.
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Do you sometimes think that others are "better" at yoga than you? "Well stop, the simple truth is that yoga poses look different on different bodies" - Nicole Katz. Read more on this topic here
"Moksha Yoga was built on the dream of having independently owned (but community-driven) studios that share their ideas, their love of conservation, an awesome hot yoga series rooted in the traditional teachings of yoga and yoga therapy concepts, and a passion for our 7 philosophical pillars." - Mokshayoga.ca While we aren't an actual Moksha studio here at the Nest, most of our teachers have completed the 500 hour Moksha Yoga Level 1 teacher training (Sarah-Jane has also completed Moksha flow and Moksha Level 2 training) and we strive to live up to all that Moksha Yoga (known as Modo Yoga internationally) is rooted in and stands for. The 7 philosophical pillars are a great place to start understanding what it is about Moksha Yoga that inspires us. Introducing Pillar 1 Be Healthy..... Go ahead....I dare you. Now I’m not encouraging you to steal from the grocery store or tell lies (definitely not). I am daring you to break rules and ideas about yourself that you follow that don’t serve you and don’t allow you to be the best you that you can be. I have noticed that I constantly reinforce patterns of behavior and thinking that, if I dissect, a) I don’t agree with and b) are restricting. Take thoughts that come into my head during a yoga practice for example, things like “I’ll never be able to do that arm balancing pose” or “I’d be better at this if I weighed less” Not only are these things false these rules that I make up about who I am and what I am capable of diminish my chances of reaching my full potential.
Breaking the rules doesn’t come easily to this self confessed rule follower. If I am told the party starts at 7pm I will be there at 6.59pm even though I would be in a way better mood if I could have napped and shown up at 7.30pm. I am a strong advocate for being on time but a nap before a social event would serve everybody! It takes time to not only see the rules that I create but to start to saw away at them and it’s not like if I “break a rule” once then I am changed forever. I am constantly staging anarchistic revolutions in my mind and often involving the same issue(s). Slowing down and taking a few breaths helps me to see a bit clearer and challenge my initial reaction to ideas/people/things. It is in these moments that a choice can be made: follow the old path or break out a forge a new one. Both options have their benefits and a well worn path is a great one to travel if it continues to go in the right direction. It’s like my friend Tracy says “every moment is a chance to make a change.” These encouraging words fill me with a sense of freedom and inspire me to explore ways that life could be different and more joyful. There is a famous quote that says “The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot” I feel like the greatest pleasure in life is doing what I say I cannot! So go ahead ..... break the rules! |
AuthorSarah-Jane loves learning, listening, sharing and doing yoga! Archives
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