Take a breath on the mat, and it works!

Take a breath on the mat, and it works!

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Take a breath on the mat – When you want to become a Yoga Teacher, you are all about studying and practicing daily. You are physically and mentally preparing yourself to be a Yoga teacher.

We go through different phases concerning practice-teaching life in our Yoga Teacher pieces of training.

FIRST PHASE

Appreciation: As you start teaching, some students will praise you and tell you they never had a class like this. They are pleased to meet you and practice with you. It motivates you and brings enthusiasm which is a good thing. It also brings some confidence. It is also, at this stage, a good thing to happen.

But this confidence can change into over-confidence very quickly. As you keep teaching, you think you are good at this even when you can’t practice. There are days when you teach a good class and have no practice backup. And it works.

SECOND PHASE:

I practice while I teach: You get no time to prepare for the class or to have your practice. The mind says, “, Anyway, I practice while I teach.” The problem is getting deeper at this stage. The signs of overconfidence are more vital and intense.

THIRD PHASE:

Body reflections: During the classes, you may need help demonstrating a pose which you always have done quickly. You don’t understand why your body-mind doesn’t listen to you. Your ego gets hurt. You are in the danger zone already.

It is always harder to keep our practice while we reach every day. However, as a Yoga Teacher, you should have your practice different from your class.

How to keep a regular practice, then?

One simple way, I heard from Yogi Chetan Mahesh (one of the best Yoga Teachers in the world) saying. Spread your mat and take a breath every day. It is your ritual. Even if you are tired, have no time to practice. Spread the Yoga mat once every day and take a breath. There are a lot of chances that you will continue in one breath.