Learning To Weave

It's been three and a half months since I finished my Yoga Teacher Training and just about as long since my last post. Life has a funny way of sidetracking you away from certain things. I believe that's the way it's supposed to be. Everything happens at a certain time for a certain reason and its all part of a great universal design.

Since my last post, I have continued to teach and practice yoga and further expand my knowledge so I can be the best teacher to my students. Coming off the teacher training, I knew where I needed to improve my skills. I was told I needed to figure out how to be more comfortable weaving the focus and inspiration of the class into the instruction so the class had something to ponder in Downward Dog and hopefully connect what I was saying to something relevant in their life. I was so caught up in giving alignment instructions that often times the inspiration would fall by the wayside. I can't say that I have perfected this skill, but it's coming along.

I have also begun teaching another class at a different LA Fitness on Monday mornings. I was so nervous going in there on that first day. But I went in with the focus and inspiration being that of Change. How when confronted with change, our fight or flight mode tends to kick in since many people who have established a comfortable routine tend to resist moving out of that comfort zone. I spoke to seeing change as an opportunity for growth and surprises. To see even the most unfavorable circumstances as merely stepping stones to something better. That change can bring with it some discomfort, but to never lose sight of the fact that transformation is simply at hand and that change brings with it growing pains. Those growing pains ultimately result in producing a stronger and much wiser individual.

I have to teach at LA Fitness again this morning and will be using the analogy of cleaning out one's closet as a metaphor for also venturing into the dark, unexplored recesses of one's mind to do some spring or fall cleaning. We often dread the task of cleaning and organizing the closet. It's a task that seems to take forever and initially makes a huge mess that can seem overwhelming. We need to weed through each item and decide which ones to keep(happy memories) and which ones to either donate(learning experiences to be shared with others) or throw away(painful memories and experiences). We don't know why we hold onto the old, stained or ugly pieces in our closet and yet, they hang there.......taking up space. These pieces don't serve us and never have, so let them go and be free of them. We all know the benefit to cleaning out and organizing the closet. All of a sudden there is all this space and room for new things.....new possibilities. We have to make conscious decisions going forward about what is allowed to hang in our closet......what things we can afford to keep there and which ones have no business being there.

I'm hoping this concept will be well received by my class. If nothing else, it will certainly make them think about closet organization in a whole new way.

With an abundance of peace and love,

Namaste!

Kristen