08/28/2024
In the last five months of teaching yoga, I’ve found myself reflecting much more than I expected on the concept of balance, or as we explore in asana, sthira sukham.
Teaching yoga is truly an honor and a significant responsibility. It takes a lot of reflection and great mentors to balance ⚖️ the drive to give everything to your students with finding what’s sustainable for yourself while maintaining a sense of lightness and playfulness. It requires humility to accept that some skills will take time, practice, and repetition to develop, and that what seemed easy at first is often more complex than it appears. Yet, it also requires confidence in your own practice and training—to understand that even with much to learn as a teacher, you still have a lot to offer your students if you serve with passion and humility as their guide.
It’s been just five months of teaching, and I’m already seeing both the early signs of progress and the long, lifelong journey of learning and practice that lies ahead. I no longer forget to turn down the lights before shavasana (that was something 😂). I’m better at keeping track of the room, offering some corrections while maintaining the rhythm of the class. I’ve even tried small modifications to the sequence with a mix of success and "oops" moments. I also now have a deeper appreciation for how much more there is to learn, so that over months, years, and decades, I can continue to learn, practice, and share more of this yoga practice.
Throughout all of this, my thoughts always return to balance. Sthira sukham. Where do I need to apply effort (sthira), and where can I relax (sukham)? When should I push, and when should I find ease? How can I keep that balance between guiding students and giving the practice the respect it deserves while preserving the playfulness and room to explore that we all need?
After all, this practice only makes sense to me as a lifelong path, and balance is key to making it sustainable.
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