Virginia Dickinson
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I do feel that taking this course has provided me with the skills and knowledge to be able to teach mediation 1 to 1. Yet I think that I would like more time under my belt being consistent with my own practice. This technique that we are learning is new to me, so I want more experience with it before I start to teach it. Additionally I need the space in my life to do the teaching. Right now I’m pretty busy, so it’s not something I can add in. However, in time I do see being able to provide some 1 to 1 instruction with my therapy clients in the future. I appreciate all that I have learned in this course!
Kat, yes, I agree, we have to acknowledge that despite our study and intention we are still learning, too. As a student I would appreciate having a teacher who sees their teaching as a journey of learning and growth. This would make me feel more confident of my process, and that I don’t have to be perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Stina, these are helpful nuggets. Yes, we can’t know everything about what we are teaching, and I agree that it is good to acknowledge this. Telling a student, “I don’t have the answer to that, but let me get back to you” is honest and helpful. So true that nerves don’t ever really go away! Yes, they certain lessen over time, but all of a sudden a unique teaching experience can make them show up. Thanks for sharing!
Kat, I think what you said about money being appreciation is very true. I think about the people I pay for services that are important to me like a haircut, acupuncture, or a massage and how much I value paying for these. I do try to tip generously to show my appreciation. It’s funny, because it seems easier to do that, value someone else’s service than to think of getting something for my service. Money is indeed essential in our society, but the thing that is more valuable to me is time. Maybe this happens to us as we get older. I like to give my time to people. I have so much more of it then I did when I was raising children or working full time. So to me time is more valuable than money. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 🙂
Today’s class discussion about money was really interesting. I appreciated hearing different viewpoints. I think that charging for meditation teaching is an individual choice. For me I think it would depend on the situation. If I were to work in a setting such as a rec department I would of course go along with whatever fee for service is required. I can certainly see times where it would be beneficial to volunteer meditation teaching such as in a setting such as a prison, or homeless shelter. Not that these have to be only way to volunteer one’s time. I liked the idea that was presented about providing an initial session for free, and then after that participants can pay. I have a paying job, so I don’t really have an attachment to getting paid or not for teaching meditation.
Dawa, it was really interesting reading about your experiences. Thank you for sharing these. So incredibly true that as women (at least my generation) we were not taught about managing money and finances. I also had to learn this the hard way. I admire the “relationship” with money that you have developed.
Like many of you my life has been filled with a multitude of learning situations from formal schooling to learning on the job. When I think about my best experiences with learning it was when I felt acknowledged, heard, and valued. My most recent positive experiences with learning have been from one of my daughters-in-laws. She is an early childhood educator and an all around wonderful human. I have learned so much from her about validating what a young child is feeling and helping them to understand their own emotions and reactions. One time I’ve shared with her a problem I was concerned about with one of the boys and she said, “what are thoughts on what to do?” This blew me out of the water! It was an invitation to collaborate which most grandmothers don’t experience!
Difficult learning experiences have been when the “teacher” doesn’t seem invested in me as a learner, thinks they know best, or uses criticism rather than feedback or questioning. A few years ago I was involved in a Master Birder training program. I was so excited to be included. Unfortunately it was one of the worst learning experiences I have ever experienced. We were assigned mentors and my mentor was pretty harsh. Comments included, “You aren’t answering the questions correctly, or you seem like you are not invested in the work.” The strange thing was that I was doing the work as outlined, and I even felt I was going above the expectations. Needless to say I left that program. I may not be a Master Birder, but I am a happy birder!
Marybeth, yes, feeling safe to be vulnerable in a learning situation whether it is a formal classroom, or some unique setting is so important. These are indeed important things to remember. Thanks!
Cheryl, I enjoyed reading about the way that your mom taught you practical, but important things. Very hands on! My paternal grandma was somewhat like this. I still hear her voice and directions when I am cooking or baking. 🙂
Melanie, I found your discussion about how to use boundaries with your geriatric patients interesting and heartwarming. It certainly has to be tricky to help people navigate the physical losses they experience. Families can make this more difficult at times, too. Sounds like you have found a calling in life that helps many with these issues. Thanks for sharing.
Rosie, your reflections about not being too tight or too loose resonant with me. We meet so many different kinds of people through therapy. Yes, some of them seem like they would probably would be good friends, while with others we really have to keep our boundaries tight. It’s all very interesting. I agree that use of self can be helpful, but we have to put thought into our purpose. Thanks for sharing!
During my initial training as a therapist many, many years ago I had to learn about not getting overly involved with clients. I recall becoming very worried about my first few clients. Was I doing enough, was I helping, would I be able to help? I had met with a young woman who was quite depressed and I spent much of my weekend worrying and fretting about her. I shared this with my supervisor and she simply said, “you will have to learn to take better care of yourself.” At first I thought that this was harsh, but overtime I came to understand what this meant. I would be no good to anyone if I let their problems take over my life! Such an important lesson to learn. So now, many decades later, I certainly think about and even worry about my clients, but I never let their issues cause me to be distraught. Instead I trust that we will work together to find solutions, and if what I have to offer is not helpful to the client I will refer them elsewhere.
Andrew, it’s interesting to me how you connected the need for generosity to be present to be able to practice discipline and patience. I had never thought of this! Yes, if we can be generous with ourselves about discipline it would be helpful! This sounds very gentle to me. Instead of saying “I committed, I have to do this” it could be something like, “I can be generous with myself and give myself time for this.” Thank you!
Lauren, you wrote of discipline as being a container. I have never thought of it this way! It’s an important part of my life and I like seeing it as a container. It’s a much more positive and graceful way of viewing discipline. Thank you!.
I like to have discipline in my life, but by this I don’t mean that it has to be rigid. There are just certain things that I want to do and attend to in order to live a healthy and meaningful life. Eating healthfully, being outside, exercise, time with loved ones are all things that I strive to attend to. If I decide I’m going to do something, such as meditating daily, it usually isn’t a big problem for me to do it. So certainly discipline is a paramita that speaks to me.
Patience is interesting to think about. In some ways I feel like a very patient person. I am patient with my children and grandchildren. I am patient with my kitties (I just added #3!) I am patient with my therapy clients. I see patience in this areas as something I have a natural inclination towards, but also educating myself and practice has helped with fine tuning patience in these areas.
My struggle with patience has shown up in close relationships and with myself. Over time I feel that I have improved in these areas, but it’s been quite a bit of work. With some relationships I have just had to accept that this is what is, and it’s not about me. This concept has taught me a great deal about having no expectations. But this still continues to be hard at times. It’s a work in progress for sure. Now when I have a struggle with expectations I am asking myself, “am I grasping for something? If so, what is it that I really want?” This has been helpful because I can then determine if this is something that I need to let go of. Not that letting go is easy! A work in progress indeed!