Take the Risk to Blossom

I love that quote. I'm nearing the end of my 200 hour yoga teacher training, but I do not feel any more qualified to teach yoga than when I began. Strange, isn't it? However, I am grateful to have a teacher who is confident in my progression and has faith in my abilities as I improve each day. Thankfully she gives me opportunities to sub so that I can practice my teaching.

Yesterday I subbed a class with 11 women around my mom's age and older. They were all friendly enough. Oh how I just wanted to be another body in the room instead of in the front leading the class!

I like to begin my classes with a quote to set the tone for the practice. Quotes are wonderful nuggets of inspiration that most students can somehow relate to. Yesterday I used the above quote by American-Cuban author, Anais Nin. How ironic it was that the quote really said a lot about how I was feeling in my heart, never mind inspiring the students.

Why can growing be so scary? Difficult? Why did I put myself out there and sign up to become a yoga teacher, when there are hundreds of thousands of certified teachers around the world? Why me?

Because growing is beautiful. In the picture above, you see a blossom still in its bud. All of the beauty is there, but it's hiding. Next to it you see the blossomed flower, sharing its fragrance and beauty to all who take the time to notice. How many flowers have you seen in your life? After you've seen one pretty flower are you saying to yourself, "That's a pretty flower. I don't need to see any more because one is enough." I sure hope not. For me, each time I see a beautiful flower in bloom my heart smiles. I especially love roses.

That's why we grow. We take the risk to open up, to blossom, so that we can share our unique beauty and love to those around us. No, not everyone will appreciate your beauty like someone else might, but that's beyond your control. What you CAN control is the effort you put into blossoming into the person you want to become. As the class ended and we were putting away our props, one of the ladies came up to me and thanked me for teaching and then said, "Your love for yoga is evident in the way you teach. Keep it up."

I guess it was worth it after all.

My substitute class wasn't what I wanted it to be. I need to keep working on my cues and fluidity of speech, but we all made it through in one piece. That evening I gave a mini-class to two of my sweet friends in my home. They were ever so patient with me and it was wonderful to practice teaching some more of what I love.

"Patience child, patience. Remember, life is a journey. If you got everything you wanted all at once, there would be no point to living. Enjoy the ride. And, in the end, you will see these "setbacks" as giant leaps forward. Only you couldn't see the bigger picture in the moment. Remain calm. All is within reach. All you have to do is show up every day, stay true to your path, and you will surly find the treasure you seek."

-Jackson Kiddard

photo credit: Hannah Whipple, August 2015, Lawrence, Kansas

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