Top 5 Questions I'm asked as a Yoga Teacher
Top 5 Questions I'm asked as a Yoga Teacher
Growth is on the other side of discomfort
For some time, telling new people I'm a yoga teacher didn’t quite feel enough. I now tell them I love to help people to feel relaxed, strong and empowered in their own bodies in my role as a yoga teacher and a wellness advocate.
That’s my elevator pitch.
Is that what the kids in suits still call it nowadays?
Anyhow, I know I am beyond lucky to be one of those people who loves what they do. I love that people are so interested when I tell them what I do. It normally inspires responses such as “I'm not flexible / young / fit / slim enough to do yoga (delete as appropriate) or questions of movements or stretches they can take to sort out their dodgy hips / knees / sleep pattern / stress. (Yoga can help with all of those things so I would definitely recommend finding a qualified instructor to help guide you in the best practices for you, because the ones you find on YouTube may not always be suitable.)
I often write or post on social media with things that might be helpful for you and I thought you might be interested to know what other questions I get asked regularly because some of these answers might help you, too.
DO YOGA TEACHERS PRACTICE YOGA EVERY DAY?
This is the question I get asked the most often and it’s not really a yes or no answer.
When folk ask me, I know they are asking if I go to my yoga mat and use my body to make physical shapes every day. The simple answer to the question as posed like that is, "no, I don’t".
Yoga is so much more than making pretty shapes to keep fit.
The word ‘asana’ translates from Sanskrit to mean ’seat’ or, 'a seat of comfort'. We take the physical practice, incidentally only one eighth of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, we stimulate the flow of Pranayama or energy in the body, we aid the drainage of toxins, we strengthen our bones and muscles and maintain optimum health so that we might prepare our bodies for spiritual practice such as meditation or prayer. (If that’s your bag.)
I regularly go to my yoga mat for a practice which I can dedicate to my body, but it’s more for my mind, around three times a week.
I use poses and postural awareness at other times as well, even if just for a few short breaths; standing in mountain pose when I first step outside in the morning, finding a forward fold as I tie my shoe laces, a cheeky standing stretch as I reach to something from the top shelf in the kitchen. For me, it is everywhere.
More, the other Eight Limbs of Yoga are in my life in different guises every single day. In ways like using my breath to either calm, energise or cool me, concentrating on sensations or on a focus as I prepare to meditate.
Meditation itself is something that is an everyday practice for me, which I normally take in the mornings and if time allows, I follow it with some simply journaling practices. Chanting is important to me and sometimes it comes out of nowhere - I’ll be driving along or folding laundry and all of a sudden, I will feel a favourite melody and I will bring it out. Perhaps you have a similar pleasure with singing along to the radio? Moving the breath can be so uplifting, calming and stimulating for the internal organs and for the mind.
The definition of the word yoga is to yolk or unite, the mind, the body, the breath the spirit and wider, the community, and it is such a vast and varied practice that actually the yoga mat can be considered a very modern necessity. In terms of the yoga that I teach, it feels right to me to not only facilitate and lead your safe and conscious exploration of the physical asana practice within your body, but to be available to help with all of the other elements of yoga that your heart feels ready for.
Once your heart is opened to yoga, you will find that it everywhere.
In fact, I once read a quote that yoga ruins your life because once you feel what it can do for you, your life will never be the same.
HOW DO YOU KEEP POSITIVE IN SUCH UNCERTAIN TIMES?
This is a question so relevant to our cultural and societal environment, now more than ever.
I should start by saying I never would have described myself as a positive person, preferring to think of myself as a realist.
I was raised to enjoy debate. To try to put myself in someone else’s shoes to see different perspectives. I’m sure I can be perceived by some as contentious in my habit for putting forward another side of an argument, even if I’m in agreement with what my conversation partner is saying. I really enjoy the opportunity of seeing the other side and of understanding the why of a situation or behaviour.
I believe that we are the product of our emotions and experiences and we make decisions based on that same information.
In life, we are presented with lessons in the shape of every single relationship, interaction, and experience. I understand and appreciate that many times in the game of life, people can be dealt an unbelievably rough hand - I am in no way discounting or being glib about the levity of those experiences.
It is clear to me that growth happens during times of emotional discomfort or pain. Consider the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly. Natural, peaceful, wondrous. We don’t associate that transformation with discomfort or pain, but what if I tell you that the caterpillar once in its chrysalis actually digests itself to reconfigure itself into the beautiful butterfly. It’s quite horrifying and amazing at the same time, isn’t it?
I've noticed that we are more likely to recognise someone’s successes or transformations and dare I say, can exhibit jealousy “that millionaire over there has got it easy”, but are completely unaware of the uncomfortable journey they’ve experienced to get there.
In my own game of life whenever I have been a dealt crap hand, yoga teaches me to surrender. To the trust that there is something that I need to learn to progress me on my journey so I can pass Go and collect my £200. (Wouldn’t it be great to get 200 quid every time something rubbish happened??). That’s not to say I don’t wallow a little bit and allow myself to feel the feels but for me, understanding the why of a situation is key to my trusting this has happened ultimately for the greater good. Finding the silver lining.
The song “For Good” from the musical Wicked says this perfectly for me. Sometimes I can listen and belt it out at the top of my voice along with Elpheba and Glinda. Other times, it will have me a sobbing wreck at the opening bars.
HOW DO YOGA TEACHERS MANAGE A WORK / LIFE BALANCE?
This one I really do find tricky.
It is my aim that when you step into my studio, you find it to be an oasis of calm and relaxation - occasionally with a pinch of fun and silliness. I want your experience of your yoga class to be sleek and seamless, providing you with a haven from what might be the craziness of your world outside your yoga mat.
(If that IS your experience of my classes then I am winning!!)
The reality of it is that there’s quite a lot that goes on behind the scenes to create that tranquillity that I so desperately want to facilitate for you.
Yoga is such a large part of my personal life that there is little separation between the two areas - my working life and my life. In fact, let’s all start championing the rephrasing of that little saying - I think that instead it should be
LIFE / WORK BALANCE
We work to make a difference, to add value in some way or another, and to earn money. The satisfaction of a good day’s work and the money we earn sustains our lives. We don’t live to work.
But of course, it makes a huge difference if you love what you do so in that respect, I am in a very fortunate position, indeed.
So how do I manage this challenge?
I have been a successful self-employed business owner, more recently a studio owner, since 2006. I am able to dictate my own working schedule - and believe me, there is as much discipline required to stop working as there is to start working because there is a real risk of either choosing to watch Netflix all day or to work 24-7. Neither of which is acceptable.
I know there are times in my cycle where I need more physical rest and times I am more creative or productive. It’s a knowledge-base available to all women so rather than my working week, I organise my working month in a feast or famine style. In short, I use my knowledge of my own body to know my most productive times for certain tasks are. (It’s not as complicated as it sounds, if you’re interested to know more, let me know!)
There are tasks that cannot be scheduled, such as responding to emails, telephone calls or social media messaging, and in this regard, I decide what working hours are acceptable to me. For example, if someone contacts to ask about classes after 9pm, the likelihood is that the reply will be sent the following day. Time with my family, friends, and for myself is as desperately important for me as it is for someone who works full-time in an office.
ARE YOGA TEACHERS REALLY FLEXIBLE?
I really am!
Oh sorry, did you mean my body? I suppose I am a bit. More important to me is that my yoga practice affords my body a physical strength that some people are surprised by. If we’ve met, I’m not really the stereotypical yoga teacher.
Ok, I’m blonde (from a bottle), but I’m not particularly young - though I am in love with all of my almost 44 years, I’m not vegan, I’m not teetotal, I don’t flip upside down into a handstand at the drop of a hat (fyi, handstand is not in my practice because I don’t need it to be), and I don’t post pictures of myself on social media with my legs behind my head. I choose not to because I don’t want to offer unrealistic ideals of what I offer in my teachings. Unique bone, muscle or joint formation will never have some people’s body’s moving like that. I want my classes to be accessible, not unattainable.
What I am is extremely emotionally strong and resilient and adaptable to great change - even though it has felt like I was being digested by something at the time (refer back to the caterpillar example).
ARE YOGA TEACHERS CALM ALL THE TIME?
There was a time that my response would have been
I wish I was
My response now is unashamedly,
heck, no!
It is true that with my years of yoga practice and study I have learned a great many tools and skills which do contribute to my having a calm nature, but that’s not all I am.
I used to feel like I was failing as a yoga teacher and a good person if I felt upset or lost my temper. In recent years, and especially since the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown, I have been forced to look my Shadow Side right in the eye and make friends with her. Truth be told, she and I have even become best friends. She’s sassy; and I like her a lot.
I love her strength, her passion, her feisty way when she has something to say that matters to us. She has my back and I’ve learned to have hers in return. I don’t apologise for saying things that I need to say.
With my years of study into yogic philosophy as well as relational dynamics, I know that I am fully entitled to feel anger, frustration, upset, sadness and loneliness - all that good stuff. And so are you.
But wait …
“All that good stuff”? why would I describe emotions such as anger and sadness as good stuff?
Because, my friend, they are necessary. I cannot possibly be sunshine and happiness all the time. Please don’t feel like you have to be either. “Negative” emotions have an extremely valuable place at the table. Those feelings tell us when something is not ok in our environment.
It hasn’t always been this way, though. My ability to speak my truth and especially to express upset was not so succinct until relatively recently and I confess to having spent many years with this following habit
Someone else : “Lee-ann, what’s wrong?”
Me : “Nothing”
Later
Someone else : “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Me : “I’m fine” (gritted teeth)
Later, someone breathes the wrong way
Ok, maybe not quite so extreme as that but still, not healthy.
Discounting and keeping my feelings unspoken and unexpressed just annoyed my Shadow Side even more. (I need to find a nicer name for her, any suggestions?)
It’s a work in progress, and we’re loads better at expressing those things in a far better way. Which, in turn has made me feel calmer and far more peaceful.
The Yamas, Ahimsa and Satya explain to us that we can use non-violence and truthfulness in all of our dealings with others, and of course with ourselves and the Niyama, Tapas, tells us how it is in the fires of discomfort that growth is forged. I’ve included links to blog posts if you want to delve into these concepts a little bit more and, as always, I love a good philosophical chinwag so do let me know in the comments below if you’ve anything you want to share.
I have a really acute body awareness, I know when something is off for me or if a feeling isn’t sitting right, so far more helpful now is for me to give it a name - sometimes out loud even if there is no-one around to hear it. “I’m feeling angry” or “I’m feeling frustrated”. Acknowledging the feeling is half the battle and it’s a mindful practice.
Just because you have an uncomfortable feeling or thoughts, that doesn’t mean they’re here to stay. It means that’s what you’re experiencing that in this moment. And you’re fully in control of how you respond to your emotions.
The ability to recognise thought patterns and to observe, interrupt or divert them is a skill that is so worthwhile to practice.
At the time of writing this blog post, we are are still living with the lockdown restrictions. For me, it has been a perfect time for self-development - how about you?
I am gradually adding lots and lots of things into the 'Resources & Activities’ library of the Exclusive Members Area which you might find useful. None of them are complicated, but all of them require honesty with yourself - which I suppose, can sometimes be hardest of all, but you’ve got this, I know you can do it!
(If you aren’t a member but are interested, click here for some more details - I’d love for you to join us. It’s a subscription with multiple options yet no icky contract - use it for as long as you like. You’ll find hours and hours and hours of live and pre-recorded classes for all abilities, guided meditations, chanting practices AND downloadable activities to stimulate your wellness and even personal development. It’s for all of you, not just your muscles and bones.)
I’m really grateful that you’ve taken the time to read this post and I hope it has offered some value for you - perhaps there are some things in here that might help with your own challenges? Let me know if it has - I’d love to know!
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with love,
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