Vy Ton
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Hi Sandie, thank you for sharing Michael Carroll’ insight. “Uncertainly is always present” and “being there, present and willing to respond” is enough. What a beautiful reminder that we don’t have to be perfect or know all the answers. I’m going to sit with this and hope that it will shift the idea of being “prepared” for me as well.
Hi Jodi, thank you for your thoughtful response to a very difficult question, at least it is difficult for me. You seemed to have navigated well practical modern needs, your personal values and intentions, and having options for your students. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Joe, you have had real-life situations where you had to think about the exchange of money and spiritual offerings. I really appreciated that your approach was on a case-by-case basis and stayed aligned with your values. I would like to apply the same in making my decisions. Thank you.
Hi Alexandra, thank you for sharing. I am glad to be reminded that having structure and clarity (i.e. a “container”) for learning is very important. I also need this for my own learning. I also like working together toward a common goal rather in competition to beat other people to a goal. I would not have liked your high school environment either.
Hi Anita, how fortunate you are to have this long-term support group for the development of your written work. It sounds like kindness and constructiveness are modeled and are principles that hold the group together. This would be a great way to support any endeavor: meditation, addiction recovery, etc.
Hi Colin, thank you for sharing your personal experiences and insights. I liked the reminder that there is cultural consideration in what is considered allowable and that it is possible to have good relationships with your teachers beyond the classroom. Finally, I loved the clarity with which you recapped the boundaries for being a teacher.
Hi Mary, you did very well given your trial by fire as a young TA. How lucky that you had clear values and learned how to be creative and set boundaries and expectations early on in your career. I’m sure these have served you well personally and professionally all these years.
Right now, I would not feel right teaching meditation for money. I simply do not feel I have enough experience with the practice itself. I would, however, feel comfortable incorporating it as a small part of my yoga classes and practice teaching meditation that way. When I first began teaching yoga, I also felt hesitant about making money. Now, I feel that I have something to offer and should be compensated for my time. I hope to feel the same way at some future point about teaching meditation.
Deep down, I do feel conflicted about making money from spiritual activities. At what point does it stop being a service offered and become a transaction bought and sold? Making a living from teaching yoga or meditation is very difficult. Most teachers I know have day jobs or are supported by their families, savings, or lottery winnings. As with anything to do with money, there must be a lot of clarity, intentionality and integrity involved. Perhaps I do not feel confident enough in myself to hold these qualities when dealing with money and spirituality. Maybe a donation-based system is best. I am not sure.
One of my best learning experiences took place recently in an acrylic painting course at the nearby community college where everyone, including those who have never picked up a brush, learned how to paint. The professor took his teaching seriously, held us to high standards with our attendance and participation, and constantly gave us constructive and encouraging feedback. We were on a clear and rigorous schedule where we had to produce our assignments in a timely manner and had to attend every review session to learn to look at and critique works by classmates. The critique sessions helped us to think about how to create our own works and the rigorous schedule forced us to paint without overthinking the process. The content, structure and pacing allowed an outcome that was surprising, even miraculous.
My worst learning experience took place in an intuitive healing course with teachers who, in the name of creativity, had no structure or sense of time. We all patiently sat and waited for inspiration to strike our teachers. It drove me crazy. While this learning context was not good for me, I think it did work for others.
I think I am mostly prepared. I understand the practice and have a general order and wording. I have to make sure to fine-tune some of the words and then will need to put in a lot of time and repetition. I would say that practice is what is most lacking for me. I hope that the more I do it, the more I will be able to give instructions in a way that sounds more natural rather than rehearsed or scripted.
I completely agree with everything you wrote, especially about how much more we have to learn and how much more we can improve to be better listeners!
As a long-time yoga student, I have admired and felt close to a lot of my teachers without actually having had any interaction with them outside of class. As a student, it is possible to feel connected to teachers through the way they teach, their genuineness and encouragement, their clarity and professionalism.
As a yoga teacher, I try to emulate the qualities that I admire in my teachers and I try to set very clear intentions and boundaries for my own behavior. I want students to connect with their yoga experience rather than necessarily to like me as the teacher. I try to model self-compassion and friendliness but I also try to give students a lot of space for their practice. When in doubt, I think it is better to err on the side of being too remote than being too friendly.
I have only ever taken and taught group classes and I wonder if the dynamics would be slightly different if the classes were one-on-one?
I agree that there’s a lot to let steep and return to again and again. I admire your practice, discipline, and holding such high aspirations for yourself.
I completely relate to your challenges of parenthood, menopause and being in a “helper” profession that requires giving of yourself. How interesting that we find easy/challenging the exact opposite Paramitas! Love it.
I feel that I understand patience. Being married, having children and learning meaningful things that are hard have taught me to have patience and to look at things with a long view. My yoga practice became better after I learned to let go of needing immediate outcomes. Connection and change (in the body, in perspective, in relationships etc) take time to build before they can take root.
I find generosity to be a very difficult quality. As war refugees, my family and I faced many years of general uncertainty and financial hardship. I never fully outgrew that deep insecurity and sense of scarcity. I catch myself wanting to hoard (things, emotions, experiences) and then having to reassure myself that I am doing okay and can relax. I would of course prefer to move through life from a position of inner abundance.