Go to Class

I just returned from a motivating Pilates mat class. Challenging moves and creative sequencing all choreographed to a funky soundtrack is inspiration to both aspiring and experienced teachers. I quickly signed up for another class. Because if you teach fitness classes, you must take classes, too.

When I was completing my 200-hour yoga teacher training program, our leader emphasized the importance of maintaining a personal practice after you are established as a teacher. I didn’t understand why she kept repeating keep coming to class.

Then I began teaching. I stumbled and fell during that first year. I continued to work at my full-time corporate job, arriving at the office early, eating lunch at my desk, so I could escape by 5pm to teach. I volunteered for as many shifts as I could manage, often teaching 10 classes a week. I rarely ate a proper dinner and collapsed into bed each night. My back ached and my knees hurt.

Teaching yoga didn’t come naturally to me. I over-analyzed everything. When sequences didn’t go as planned, I obsessed over the details. I spent my free time drafting lesson plans, creating play lists and practicing meditation scripts. I wanted every student to like my class, and it was making miserable.

After teaching for a couple of years, I let it all go. I realized that I can’t control every class and everyone in it. I reframed my thinking: the most important consideration is for me to enjoy the class. As long as I am having fun, there was a good chance my students will too.

Also, I began taking classes regularly again. It is a pleasure to participate and watch someone else do the heavy lift – choreography, cueing and synchronizing a room. From being a student, I learned new moves and sequences. I am also more energized. There is something about that energy – I really do feel the flow more than ever, almost nine years after I began teaching.

Recognizing the difficulty in teaching yoga, Pilates and meditation classes is part of the journey. Recently, I attended a full-day silent meditation retreat. The leader gracefully held space for 100 participants for eight hours. She was insightful, serene and completely confident in her abilities. This workshop inspired me to keep teaching.

What I enjoy most is focusing on form. My students tell me they like imagery in my cues and descriptions of how a pose should feel. I can’t do that unless I participate in classes. Now that I’m also a student, I can focus on how poses affect my body and pass that knowledge on. Teaching and taking classes has culminated into a full circle, and sometimes, even a magic circle.