Growth Comes with Change

Growth Comes with Change

Seeing where the Road Takes You

This May I celebrate four wonderful years of teaching yoga in Hagerstown.  In these years, I’ve taught at a party store, a basement, a sunroom, a gym, a park, a conference room, a high school, a lounge, and a historical loft in downtown Hagerstown.  I’ve met hundreds of people – beginners, intermediates, advanced, healthy, injured, young and old.  And the funny thing is, I still considered myself a new teacher.

I recall my very first class as I nervously stood on my mat and held tightly to my sequence.  I spoke quickly, moved quickly and barely left the safety of my mat.  I also decided to begin teaching mirroring my students while pregnant (not recommended).  After two kids and a whole lot of classes in between, my style evolved into something that reflects who I am today – more confident, flexible.

The most challenging decision I ever made as a yoga teacher was to offer all my classes in an all-levels format.  I may have a sequence prepared for class, but I had to be able to adapt to whoever walked through my door.  I had to quickly access my students’ energy levels as well as physical abilities within the first 10 minutes of class.  I took continuing education classes and read lots of books on how to modify and adapt yoga for each body.

While not every class is perfect, I continue to get better with this format. We should all be open to change, willing to see where the next path will take us.  We may not know what the road looks like or where it will take us, but with confidence, we’ll be able to look back at the changes we’ve made to arrive at our current destination.

Here are 3 tips to help embrace change:

1. Cultivate patience.   We are going to make mistakes.  Take a few deep breaths when life gets frustrating.  Life responds between each of those breaths.
2. Have faith.  We don’t always know exactly how a decision will play out.  Decide to be confident in your choice.  Instead of the constant doubting and worrying, become fully aware and experience joy with the outcome.
3. Stick with it.  Changing habits typically take time (31 is the magic number I’ve read about).   Make a plan and stay with it for a period of time.  (i.e. When incorporating meditation in my daily lifestyle, I failed so many times to stay consistent.  I finally found the right formula for me – 5 minutes a day, anytime during the day.  This was four years ago, and now I almost feel like I’ve forgotten to brush my teeth when I don’t meditate.)

Thank you for the last four years.  It has been a pleasure sharing what I’ve learned about yoga with you.  I’ll always consider myself a student learning from you.

Asking for Help

Asking for Help

Taking a Hand

A friend asks if you can watch her kids for an hour while she attends an appointment.  Another asks if you can spare a few minutes to listen to his latest dilemma.  And when family calls, you immediately drop everything to assist.  We love to help.  We feel great when we become someone’s hero.  So, why do we resist letting them help us?

Perhaps it’s my Southern upbringing, but I have a hard time asking for help.  I would gladly give the shirt off my back to help someone else, but asking her to pick up dinner because I’m sick is out of the question.  I brought this topic up to another Southern friend of mine (who’s sweet as pie and guilty of not asking for help too.)  Ultimately, our hesitation to ask for help boiled down to thinking it’s an inconvenience to bother anyone else with our needs. 

Now that I have two young children, I’ve had to relearn how to ask for help.  Asking for assistance isn’t a burden to someone else.  She likely loves the fact that you even thought of her to help.  This is a new way of thinking for me, and I have to remember how happy I feel to help and now someone can do that for me.

This month I’ve asked Laura Martin to substitute my classes while I spend some time bonding with the newest llama.  She willingly jumped to the opportunity to lend a helping hand.  Along with Laura, I’ve armed myself with a team of friends and family that can assist me during this change in my life.

I urge you to do the same.  Pick up the phone.  Call and ask for help next time.