Teach What You Need To Learn.

In one of my new favorite teaching tools, Guiding Yoga’s Light, a book by Nancy Gerstein, I read something that I continue to keep in mind when planning what I will teach in my yoga classes: “Teach what you need to learn. You will be more passionate about your teaching and ultimately be a better teacher.” This simple, yet meaningful piece of information really resonated with me. The more I thought about it the more the idea made sense to me; when you teach to others what you need to learn yourself you are more likely to put your whole self into the lesson, be completely present in spirit, and teach from your heart. That is the kind of lesson that others need and will want to learn.

I have decided to focus more on teaching awareness and being in the present moment, the topic of my last post. This is a lesson that I continue to learn, and struggle with, each & every day. I am beginning to notice that when I incorporate the idea of being present into my classes and teach it to others, I begin to bring more awareness to my own life on a daily basis.

I recently went to my local library and checked out a book called Fully Present by Susan Smalley and Diana Winston. While I have only gotten around to reading the first four pages of the introduction, I am very excited to learn more about mindful awareness, and have decided that instead the best way to teach this art to others is to work towards mastering it myself.

This has me wondering about all the other yoga teachers out there, and what lessons they themselves need to learn. Yogis, are you out there? If so, let me hear from you! What is it that you need to learn?