Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Yoga - #7

Well, that break from my Top 10 list was a little longer than I thought it would be BUT sometimes it takes time to rest and rejuvenate... hence reason #7

7. Learning to Listen to Your Inner Teacher

Sometimes it takes me a while to tune into my inner teacher, to listen to my inner voice. That voice can be the chatter I hear but can also be my body talking to me. That talk can be as simple as a twinge here and there or the ahhhh feeling as I settle into a pose. It gets better as I get older (gosh I HOPE so) but as in most everything in life... it is a process with ups and downs and turn-arounds!

I teach my yoga students, and indeed my language and computer students (my other jobs), to trust their own instincts. Most often, once we have learned something, it is tucked away in that lovely brain of ours SOMEwhere. With yoga, I believe we create the necessary muscle memory and our bodies remember the poses, instinctively knowing what is right. Whenever we practice, we need to listen to those signals that are right there in front of us. Knowing when to push a little more, when to step back, ease off a pose... that is listening to ourselves and respecting our inner teacher. Sometimes our mind needs to step back a bit and let our bodies ease into a pose such as when we are trying out a new pose, for example the first time we fly in Crow or take that leap of faith in Handstand or allow our hearts to soar in Wheel.

The same thing can be said for listening to our inner voice as we travel through our days... we all know that feeling that comes over us when something "just doesn't feel right". Conversly that feeling we enjoy as KNOW that we are doing something that is SO RIGHT for us or when we meet people or see places that just resonate with us in ways that are often difficult to articulate. Learning to understand that voice and distinguishing the real message from the hidden message we can tune into that inner teacher.

Namaste and Happy Thanksgiving!

2 comments:

  1. This is such an important lesson and one that was great for me to read as I embark on my yoga teaching journey. I need to remember to always tell my students to listen to their inner teacher.

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  2. Thanks for your comment, Maria. I am enjoying your blog and reading about your new adventure into teaching. We all need to trust our inner teacher!

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