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I recently sat down with Jennilyn Carson, the yoga instructor and writer behind Yogadork, one of my favorite blogs and resources for all things yoga. We were talking about the start of my upcoming group classes for Compass Yoga and I mentioned that I wish I had gotten my full teacher certification earlier in my life. She mentioned that she sometimes felt the same way though when that thought crosses her mind she remembers that we are all in just the right place at just the right time.
I have always respected and learned the most from my teachers who have had long and winding roads. They have so much to give as a result of their journey. Prior to my first yoga classes in 2005, I wasn’t ready to teach. And even when I thought I was ready, the adjustment between being a student and being a teacher was far greater than I ever expected. It took me a few years to be comfortable teaching yoga, and then a few more years to enjoy it. I idealized what it would be like to teach for a long time. It was actually a scary, nerve-wracking process when I first started. And though my students said how much they got from the classes, inside I knew I could do even better if I could just internalize my calm exterior that I conveyed in class.
In my early days of teaching, my classes were performances. Now, over 5 years later, my classes have a much different tone. The calm that is conveyed to my students is an inside-out process, not a performance. It reflects my comfort in a classroom and a renewed focus on what the students need, not what I have to give. It wasn’t until my teacher training at Sonic that I learned the yoga classes I give have absolutely nothing to do with me. I’m just there for the students. “My” class isn’t mine at all – it’s theirs. And my only focus now in teaching is to give students exactly the teaching they need exactly at the moment that they need it. It’s an honor to be there with them. That change in perspective, and not just knowing it but conveying it through my teaching, took a long time to evolve.
I was talking to Brian about this very subject on Friday and he used the analogy of a car. We focus so much on how quickly a car can get from 0 to 60, but all of the artistry and power of its mechanics are realized between 0 and 59. Getting to 60 is just the by-product. Our journeys, careers, and teachings are remarkably similar. Getting to that proverbial 60 is certainly an accomplishment, but the foundation and the learning it takes to get there is accomplished in every small step between 0 and 59.
So let’s enjoy the path and celebrate along the way, meandering and winding as it may be. Each step comes to us very purposefully, with a reason for being exactly where it is, exactly when it reveals itself to us.
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Christa Avampato 