Challenges of Teaching Yoga - (Project Post)

  I am writing this post dedicated to Ania G. for her Yoga Teaching Training project. Ania asked me what are the greatest challenges of being a yoga teacher and what would I advice to new yoga teachers.

 I guess the answer will vary from teacher to teacher. I don't considered myself a Yoga Teacher because I did not master yoga and I don't think I will never will. I surrender myself each day to the teachings of yoga and for now I can get a glimpse of what yoga is but I have still so much to learn about it, it's endless. In India they call Yoga Teachers as "asana" teachers. It's almost an insult to describe yourself as a yoga teacher, mastering Yoga it's like mastering life itself. Some students of Yoga gain respect and are called yoga teachers when they have been studying under a guidance of a guru for many years without interruption. Even thou maybe some teachers are not qualified spiritually to teach. I guess the sincere and devotion to the teaching of yoga and to one Guru is the best teacher.

  I call myself yoga teacher for the simple fact Im in the west and people call me like that. My job is to share my practice and what I learn from it. I remember when I finished my Yoga Teaching training and I thought I knew nothing. The more I open books to read and the more I practice I had the feeling that Yoga is so vast and it's an endless path of learning. That's is my greatest challenge. Everyday I make mistakes, every time I teach I learn something new. Teacher and students in the same room are not teacher and students. There is no separation. We are all learning from each other. We are all exchanging energies. We are learning anatomy, out and inner sensations. We are learning to deal with feelings. Positives and negatives. We are practicing together. We are all different and we all learn from each other. The mind need to be open to receive new information and to break through what we think it's possible and impossible.

  Advices for new yoga teachers? Keep up with your practice and studies, only teach what is from your own experience and do it from the heart :)

Namaste.