I used to attend a self-improvement class where the teacher would say she is teaching the topic she most has to work on herself. That always resonated with me. She was humble, yet direct about the lessons she wanted to get across.
When I think about the type of wellness teacher I am, I often—quite often—feel a sense of guilt when I am not always practicing what I preach. In nutrition, for example, I would eat a salad every day—if I had enough time to prepare it! And in yoga, I would do many more advanced exercises if I my back didn’t act up once in a while.
I feel a ceiling for myself in these areas, and thus I feel guilt that perhaps I am NOT one to teach on these subjects.
But recently I was reminded that as long as I am striving for better, am trying to make healthier choices, I sure AM a teacher who has what to give.
I posted on Instagram about having to use a heating pad during savasana (corpse pose) because I had pulled a muscle in the back a few days prior. Instead of telling people to accept when their body is telling them to slow down, I simply stated that this is something that I myself am working on.
WORKING ON.
Not perfect at it. Not mastered. Not arrived.
Simply in conversation with and gradually improving in this area.
And you know what? Not only did many people appreciate this post, but one person even asked if I teach yoga classes.
This relieves a lot of the pressure that bears down on me as a teacher. It shows that simply being authentic and honest about my own growth process—as well as wanting to use that as a springboard to help others better understand theirs—makes me a suitable teacher indeed.
Mindful Nuggets 