you can lead a horse to water
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 There is a lot of excitement in the yoga blogosphere lately. I'm not talking about Judith Hanson Lasater's letter. I'm talking about all of those yoginis who are doing their teacher trainings or just finishing their trainings! naturally nina, damn good yoga, y is for yogini, yogadork...and more!
Isn't it so fun to read about the teacher training journey? Just one more of those things that I think "if I knew then what I know now". I love reading about the enthusiasm, the dedication, the curiosity, and the exhaustion. Oh, remember that exhaustion from teacher training?! What a wonderful feeling!
I distinctly remember as we learned each asana and the alignment and cues to teach it and modifications for people who are tight here and there how I would teach the pose to the wonderful husband. Every pose we learned I thought "this is how I will teach it to him". I had this great fantasy in my mind about teaching all of the yummy stuff I was learning to the wonderful husband.
Or, what about those things you learn that make backs feel better, that loosen up shoulders, that make the body sing? Do you just think about people to teach those to? This would heal my dad. This would be really good for my mom's back.
Do you remember that? That love of yoga and that absolute belief that if you could just teach it to everyone you could heal the world?
I remember that. What a great feeling.
I also remember one of the greatest lessons from my teacher training. My teacher, Bhavani, talking with us about how you can never, ever FORCE yoga on anyone. It has to be their decision and they have to be ready and open to be able to receive all that yoga can give.
After I returned home from the training, the wonderful husband and I practiced together at home a couple of times. And, for about half a year he came to my classes at the gym. That was it. With all of my enthusiasm and poking and prodding, that was it. He comes to me with the occasional, "my back hurts, help me".
My mom has been to a few of my classes and we sometimes practice together when I go home to the ranch. I know that practice makes her feel good, but I know it is hard to do by yourself when you are first starting. My dad looks at me like I'm bat shit nuts when I talk about yoga and how it could make him feel better. Except, on my last visit home, he expressed interest in learning "just a few things" that he could do every day to make his back feel better.
I've had a few friends come to my classes now and again. They say they enjoy it, but I think they are just being polite!
So, all of those high hopes that I had coming out of my training about spreading this yoga magic...well, now I know what Bhavani was talking about.
But, I'm still convinced that with time, my friends and family, those who are so dear to me, those with whom I really, really want to share this yoga magic with, will eventually come around. Because they have to notice the spark yoga has ignited in me. They have to notice how happy it makes me. The better person I am because of it. And, they have to be just a little bit curious...right?
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
What about you? Who have you tried to make drink from the well of yoga?
Reader Comments (6)
Oh I get so excited about people doing their teacher training. I remember how life changing it was for me!
Speaking as someone who is definitely interested, I think it can be intimidating. Reading your blog, I can see how much yoga is a part of your life. But you have to be ready to embrace it and I don't think a lot of people are willing to invest the time and energy. It's kinda like cooking from scratch with wholesome ingredients...people know it would be good for them, they'd enjoy it, it would make them feel a lot better...but they can come up with 100 reasons not to. I've already decided that when we get back to Helena, I'm taking the plunge.
My husband gets FREE yoga at the studio I teach at, just because he's married to me. So how many times do you think he's been? ZERO. Our compromise has been that he is not allowed to complain anymore about his shoulder/back/leg unless he is willing and ready for me to do something about it. Trying to get the people you love to love yoga like you do just gets old.
Aww, thanks for mentioning me. :) It's amazing all the phases you go through during teacher training and I intend to blog on this very topic. Right now, as you know, I'm feeling worn out and a bit gloomy. But there's another teacher training on the horizon...fingers crossed it works out. The journey is just beginning.
@rachel--oh, i know! teacher training was amazing.
@julie--you are very right on here. and, i can't wait to share some yoga with you!
@heather--ah, that made me laugh! and, i like your compromise. sounds reasonable to me.
@y--soak it all up and then i'm excited to hear about it!
I haven't officially announced it on my blog, but in January, I will be enrolled in YTT. However, the school is allowing me to start a little early through completing mandatory workshops/classes (allowing me to spread out my payments over a longer period of time, more economical for me!) starting NOW. I am so so so super excited.