I love teacher training. It’s my favorite pastime and career all rolled into one. The fresh-faced eagerness and excitement of the student turned teacher-in-training; the compassion that’s already there and the understanding that dawns throughout the months-long journey; and the ability to give these newly minted teachers confidence to step out on to a mat to make a difference to others. WOW! No greater feeling!
The 200-hour participants just completed the Teaching Tools portion where most of them got up for the first time and taught to their peers. (The hardest thing EVER!) They learned some tips and techniques for making the most out of any environment and designed their first practices. Watch out yoga world, they’re coming for you soon!
I asked the group to share some of what they loved about the weekend.
“It’s amazing how diverse this group is yet we’re all here for a common reason,” said the veteran of the group. Not in age but in years of experience. She brings almost 10 years with her as she seeks to get her “official” certification. Her experience provides such a wonderful reference point for the newbies.
“I loved learning the assists and the response you get from something so simple,” exclaimed the corporate trainer. (I love having a fellow corporate trainer because she gets everything so quickly–and I don’t mean the yoga stuff, I mean the training stuff I throw in to help people learn and transform.)
The youngest award goes to our cute librarian who said, “I loved the mini-teach session. There was no pressure just the ability to see how things went.”
We have a dancer in our midst who brings with her so much understanding in how important the mind-body connection is especially from an industry where image can be over-emphasized and and the healthy mind-body connection undermined. “I’ve taught dance for so many years however I love to see how other do it (teach). I really enjoy the different points of view.”
Just a glimpse into our weekend training session. Each group is so unique and amazing in their own ways. As the veteran stated, it is a diverse group but all are working together to bring compassion and love into their teaching.
