We’ve all had wobbles on the yoga mat; the teacher instructs us to lift through the arches of the feet or keep our gaze steady and find our balance, and what happens? We wobble, we sometimes come out of the pose, occasionally we fall over. Thankfully our bodies are forgiving. Hopefully we are forgiving of ourselves; we might giggle, steady our breath and come back into the pose with renewed insight into how we find our balance.
What happens when we wobble in life? What happens when something happens in our lives sends us off-balance? Are we as forgiving of ourselves? And what happens when our wobbles, whether big or small, happen when you’re embarking on a transformational journey like yoga teacher training?
Firstly, it’s OK. When you digest how much work is involved in teacher training, and add this on to a full-time job, a family, a home, and all the other responsibilities that we as adults have; it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and wonder if you can actually get through this.
Secondly, it’s normal. When you start digging deep within, as is part of the teacher training journey, it’s completely normal to start having doubts, worries or even fears about our abilities as a teacher.
And lastly, it’s natural to wonder why you started this journey and if it is all going to be worth it in the end.
Trust the process. It is absolutely worth it in the end. Process is part of the transformation from practitioner to teacher. There have been, and still are, times when the doubts – that voice we try to tune out – starts to takeover, and we start believing this voice to be true. I remember finishing my training and realising how much I don’t know and still have to learn. This is scary and exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.
What if, as part of your teacher training, you had access to a mentor? Would it make a difference? Well, Teacher Training at Yogafurie is now able to offer mentoring as part of the course: each trainee is able to access a 1 hour mentoring session.
Mentoring is based on these fundamental principles:
Trust
Confidentiality
Mutual Respect
Mentoring provides a space where the mentee is comfortable enough to explore barriers. This happens because all three of the above are in place. The mentor is an external person who has been through the process that you are going through, who has the right questioning and listening skills to support and empower the mentee to see a way through, to find their own answers to questions they may not think of asking.
Although my journey was unique to me, as yours will be unique to you, the steps were the same and I have undertaken this same teacher training course. I have had my wobbles, my doubts, challenges, frustrations, breakthroughs and celebrations. And my insight and skills as a mentor can help you to find your balance through any wobbles that come up during your teacher training journey.
