I signed up for my first yoga teacher training because I wanted to heal myself. I became a yoga teacher because I want to make the world a better place by giving others tools to heal themselves. Cheesy and chiché, I know. But from the depths of my heart, it’s true. I don’t study and practice and teach because I want power or a platform. I pour my heart and soul into teaching because I care. I care about you, even if we’ve never met. When you come to my class or sign up for my teacher training, I know it’s because you are searching for a place to heal. To be fully yourself in a world where we don’t always feel safe to be who we really are.
Life is hard. Sometimes it breaks us and we have to figure out how to pick up the pieces. Sometimes we need someone to help light the way when things get really dark. There were teachers who shined the light for me when it was too dark to see. I became a yoga teacher to pass on the light. That’s why I love facilitating teacher trainings so much, because I know they are going out into the world to help light the way. That’s why I feel angry and frustrated when yoga studios stop becoming safe spaces to heal and be free.
If you teach yoga, practice what you teach. You don’t need to perfect what you’re teaching (because what is perfection, anyway) but you do need to try your best. Asana, meditation, breathwork are all important parts of the practice. But what about truthfulness, non-harming, self-study?
What’s happening around me, in my community is just as important as what is happening on my own mat. And I’m tired of the hypocrisy and the bullshit. We have to remember what yoga is. It’s not a performance. It’s not a way to gain power or followers or take advantage of people. Yoga is about unity, connection. It’s about love and light and becoming the best version of yourself, yes – but it’s also about paying attention, speaking truth, and having the courage to take action.
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”
-Brené Brown
XX,
Jaimis