Yoga Teachers are Human Too

My experience so far, being a Yoga teacher, or guide, as I prefer to call it, has been the most fulfilling chapter of my life so far.  Every chance I have, to step on the mat, and guide other souls, on their personal journey, I am humbled, honored, and feel so grateful.  What I didn’t realize, is that when one becomes a guide to such an important practice, it puts you in the spotlight, and brings along with it, the responsibility, and expectation, to be in a space of high vibration, of peace, love, gratitude, compassion, acceptance, at all times, and never ever have a bad day. 

We must break this myth!  Yoga teachers are human too!  We have the same experiences as our students.  We go through heart break, we suffer loss, such as divorce, losing a loved one, a job, or friendship.  We struggle with insecurities, with our bodies, reaching goals, and feeling like we are not good enough.  We wake up cranky, make mistakes, feel impatient, vulnerable, and yes, sometimes even struggle with our faith.

It is important, that we share some of this with our students.  By becoming more transparent, we can share our journey, through these challenging moments in our own lives, and how in those moments, our Yoga practice is even more crucial to our own sense of well-being.  We know the power of our own personal daily sadhana. (spiritual practice).  It transforms us inside and out.  We can shift from fear to Love, by stepping on our mat, and connecting to our breath.

By shining a light on our own shadow, we teach others the power of vulnerability.  We can show up for our students, in a more authentic way, which will allow them, to connect with us, and more importantly, their own personal practice, on a deeper level, both on and off the mat.  When we have an off day, and it’s not only okay, but necessary, to self-reflect, and take whatever lessons we have learned, and use it as inspiration for our next class. 
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Life is like swimming through the ocean, sometimes waters are rough, and sometimes smooth.  By teaching Yoga, we are giving our students, an anchor, they will need to navigate through every ripple. So, let’s keep it real, open our hearts, and when we step on our mat, to guide our next class, let’s bring every drop with us.