Why Self-Care is more Important for Yoga Teachers, while Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga teaching is definitely a wonderful experience for many yogis. Sharing what we know in yoga and seeing people positively alter the feeling on amazing, at times exhilarating and generally fulfilling. Yet, because our work is about focusing on and giving to others, there are times when we are out of steam. Coupled with running to and from classes and managing other life commitments, we can often overexert ourselves. What we do pulls a lot of our consideration outwards and requires plenty of our energy. Many teachers do partake a self-practice to turn to, but this can often become expended with feelings of class plans, new postures to teach and other concerning issues. How often is it about self-nourishment and what we feel we actually need in the moment?

At HHY (Himalayan Holistic Yoga), we recognise that our bodies and minds are our working tools in all of our classes during the course. We must take care of ourselves as we deserve to, but also because without that, our teaching journey can become unverifiable, less entertaining and varying with the principles of what did you say. Plus, we owe it to our students to be clear examples of what we teach. The first step to being a healthier teacher and person is to find a space to turn the look inside, and focus on our own needs. To simply listen to the quiet voice inside that knows how to nurture ourselves.

Yoga Teacher Training in India

At times, even when we feel the need for this, it is hard to generate this space for ourselves. It can be hard to switch off from being in a giving position. Or, we are not continuously accomplished of evolving and protecting that space alone. This is one of the fundamental offerings at HHY where we prioritise the wellbeing and sustainability of yoga teachers by providing a encouragement and refilling space. It can be extremely healing and restorative to be held in a safe space because we can obtain more readily from others and ourselves. Our students know this. We also know this but still struggle to attend to ourselves in the same way we attend to others; a familiar and somewhat paradoxical occurrence in caring professions.

Self-care is the heart of yoga. It is the practice of self-love and deep inner listening to our needs in the here and now. It is a peeling of the layers and the releasing of obligations to others in the moment. At HHY, we believe strongly in creating a space for teachers where they can take off their ‘teacher skin’ and surrender their expectations of themselves, so that they can really reconnect with what they need. So, they can feel free to be students of yoga again, without judgments of how well or how far they might have come on their journey. So, they experience again just how much yoga teaches each one about who we are beyond labels, roles and functions. Because it is from that place that they might be able to best support themselves.

Teaching in many ways is about the balance. The balance of giving and receiving, being a teacher and being an eternal student, looking out and looking in, taking care of others and being cared for. We need balance. Because everyone needs it. Because it helps us remember what it is like to be on the other side of the classroom. Because our bodies, minds and hearts need it. Because our teaching needs it to be rich and full and joyful. Because our students need us to be the best we can be. Because our families and friends need it to. When we discover balance during our lives as teachers, yoga practitioners and individuals, we sense healthier and are more centred for it. Filling up our tank at regular intervals simply gives us time to enjoy our teaching journey more and to grow with more joy and energy.

HHY Yoga Teacher Workshops:

200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training Course in Rishikesh

At HHY we are delivering a sequence of bespoke workshops to benefit support teachers develop more awareness everywhere self-care. These workshops will contain mark on how to support ourselves as teachers both physically and emotionally. They will also explore other areas of physical and mental health, so teachers can feel more knowledgeable and supported as they work with an ever-increasing variety of people.

HHY will be cooperating with some really motivating people whom not only specialise in their specific areas but also have a passion to reach out to the yoga community and help build more robust assemblies and networks for teachers and students identical.

For more information on these workshops, please click on the video below where Sachin Om from HHY explains the ideas behind them.

Rajesh Mishra is a passionate blogger and digital marketer from India. He loves to share his ideas through this blog to help readers.