There is so much discussion lately about the benefits of yoga, one might mistakenly assume that all yoga teachers actually do walk on water. Read more below about the realistic outcomes one might expect from a great yoga teacher training. Please note, this blogpost is written by Michelle Maue, lead yoga international teacher trainer, with over 18 years of yoga practice!
Read more below about the 3 great benefits Clayton Yoga Teacher Training offers its students. Also, the 5 commonly held mistaken expectations that yoga teachers may find useful on their way to better living, health and empowerment.
One. Mindfulness training helps us to notice thoughts, and provide more deliberate space. Rather than a knee jerk reaction, or a critical remark, a great international yoga teacher training, provides yoga practice time to respond more appropriately and feel better our choices.
Two. Yoga opens the mind. Practicing longer, slower, held yoga postures, we address the issues that reside in the tissues. Working with expansion and contraction in our cellular body, we expunge toxins, and remain calm. Rather than disassociating or checking out from our difficult moments, our calm body encourages us to stay present and be open. Being engaged and curious, we become naturally better at finding solutions. When we do that, we are encouraged to try new things and take greater risks. Have more fun too!
Three. Increase motivation for being the change we wish to see. Practicing yoga even for decades does not make us above natural law. Therefore if you wish for people to become more loving and more honest, work on becoming those qualities yourself.
Four. If I practice yoga correctly, new clients and business will come to me! There are times in my life where I have thought the best clients or potential corporate gigs were the situations or people who did the chasing. Who wanted me, and made it clear that they really wanted me to be their yoga instructor. In truth, I know now this is incorrect. Be good first to your business, and then, your business will be good to you. In order for my business to grow and do well, I must take the daily action plan and make it happen.
Five. There are never, ever absolutes, even in yoga. If we are human, we need improvement. Even yoga instructors have lifelong blocks and the right viewpoint is never about mastery, but a willingness to continue with the practice. To learn to become more honest, less defensive, more loving; less critical, this is a life’s practice. No amount of yoga and yoga teaching will ever make us immune to needing improvement.
Six. Yoga cannot take away your problems. If you are not in a challenging situation right now, don’t worry, one is on its way! Yoga cannot help us to become immune from life’s daily problems. Believing because you practice yoga, that all your troubles will disappear is to be blunt, a form of delusion. So long as we are human, there will be challenges and life difficulties. Put on your big boy and big girl underpants and face it.
Seven. Yoga does not make the people in your life better! For years, I used to practice yoga, unconsciously believing this was also improving loved ones lives. Those to whom I felt closest too, I learned even after years of yoga practice, are still going to be the way they want to be. The benefits of the practice are direct only to those who are practicing themselves. Yoga cannot and will never make other people’s in the yoga practitioners life better.
Eight. Who do you follow rather than who are you! Placing your yoga teacher on a pedestal conveniently lets your own actions take a backseat. Developing an independent thinking mind and successful path means stepping outside convenient comfort zones. One of which, placing too much emphasis on your teacher, and not you.
Remember, it isn’t about your latest yoga teacher’s style, it’s about you. The real definition of the word “guru” is to bring about light where there was once darkness. Allow yoga to keep the mirror where it belongs and get back to your action plan!
We offer a yoga teacher training course beginning January 29th-31st, 2016, with only 4 spaces left! To learn more about either of these wonderful opportunities, why not set up a consultation phone call together. Click here to book your favorite time: www.claytonyoga.com/call.
This is a really good piece to save and re-read occasionally. Lots of great “real” advice.
Love the message, we can not fix others through the practice of Yoga. We can only control our reaction to life, as Michelle says, if there isn’t a struggle in your life, one is on the way. Learning to deal with these through mediation can only be good for me.
What a great reminder for everyone going through teacher training. I totally agree with Kathy, it is a very good article to save a re-read. It also puts real reasons behind why we train the way we do and in turn help me to get the full benefits from my training.
I really connected with this post, and absolutely loved it. I really connected with the step that you wrote about your yoga business. This sentence really moved me “Be good first to your business, and then, your business will be good to you.” That is so powerful and moving, and I could read inspirational blog posts like this all day. Thank you for that Michelle.