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With the holiday season quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to play with the 12 Days of Christmas - YOGI STYLE. Over the next 12 days I will be bringing you ONE pose each day! I would love it if you would practice along with me. Here's to a joyous Holiday season full of love and kindness.
In a word or two, tell me what you do to bring peace into your life at this busy time of year?
Let’s face it, we all have gone out and tied one on the night before and had a huge headache we were nursing the next day, but let me give you a heads up, if you are a yoga teacher, with a following, don’t go talking about it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you get the picture. Yoga students sometimes put their yoga teachers on a bit of a pedestal and the last thing they want to be reading about is how hungover you are and that you aren’t sure how you are going to teach your yoga class (which they may be attending). That’s not to say you can’t go out and have a great time and even post pictures of drinks, (I confess, I’ve done it.) but just use some discretion.
The same goes for how you look when you show up to teach. Again, we have all shown up to teach a class and haven’t felt our best but that is when we can make a little statement about “feeling a little under the weather” and toughing it out and our students usually appreciate knowing that we are human and we get sick too. But if your reason for showing up half-dressed is because you overslept or some other lame reason, like a hangover, as a yoga teacher, you need to take a look at your priorities or at least don’t make it a habit.
I try to show up to teach prepared, clean, well-dressed (or at least dressed appropriately for the class I am teaching). I show up to teach how I would like my teachers to show up. Think about how your favorite teachers show up and maybe aspire to be like them! That’s what I do!
It is a tough lesson in life and in the yoga world and maybe you can relate, but not everyone is going to like us. They may not like our voice, our style, heck for that matter what we look like, and you know what, that’s ok! I know it feels bad when we hear that someone doesn’t like our yoga classes but going back to Miguel Ruiz’s book – The Four Agreements, you can’t take things personal. And if you haven’t read the Four Agreements I suggest you get it and keep it and re-read it! Everyone is wired differently and everyone has stuff in their past that make up who they are. Our voice may remind them of someone they have been trying to get over, or our hair style may take them back to a time they really never want to go back to. You get the point.
I feel we are fortunate to live in an area that has quite a few amazing yoga studios and amazing teachers, and I have to admit, I have my own favorites. But nonetheless, we all should find the teacher and class that we resonate with, the class that moves us, or just makes us feel better when we leave. And my friends, don’t worry if my class isn’t one that moves you! I won’t take it personal.
Namaste’
I was talking with someone the other day that is so miserable with their job that they feel like they can barely go on. They are constantly exhausted, sleep deprived, etc. You get the picture. And maybe you know someone like this. Maybe it is you.
Believe me, I’ve done jobs I haven’t liked one bit, and I found out really quickly that I was the only one that could change things. No matter how much complaining I did to my family, my friends, etc., nothing was going to change my miserable job except me. This is when I turned to meditation, journaling and vision boards to help me along. In meditation I can find little nudging’s about what to do next. Sometimes it takes a while to hear and sometimes things are a bit fuzzy, but this is when I really let my journaling kick in. I write out pros and cons of my job. I write out possibilities for change. I write out my options. Seeing them on paper makes them achievable. And then there are vision boards. I turn to magazines and while flipping through, I see pictures and words of things that resonate with me. These pictures and words I tape to a poster board. and I look at it all the time. (It’s posted behind my bathroom door.) These are my vision. These are where I see myself. And if these things don’t help you, or you have no clue what you want to do with your life, there are lots of books that can help guide you.
Now I know that a lot of us can’t quit the miserable jobs we have, but we can quit complaining about it every day and try to find something about it that we do like. Maybe finding just one tiny thing will make it seem less miserable. And then there are those hours when we aren’t at that miserable job and in those hours we can do things for ourselves that make us really happy! (For me that is taking a yoga class.) So find something that makes you happy, even if you can’t do it all day long! Life is too short to be miserable every day of your life! You can change it, really!
In yoga we are always talking about not judging ourselves, letting ourselves be how we are on our mats, letting go of judgment, etc. This means not only judgment of ourselves on the mat, but not judging others for who they are, what they do and whether they wear lipstick to yoga. Now, granted, I wear some decent shades of lip color, and no one has ever come up to me and said, you shouldn’t be wearing makeup to class, but that doesn’t mean someone hasn’t thought it. Yes, my friends, I like to wear my makeup, including lipstick to yoga. Yogis sometimes get a bad rap for being very earthy, vegan, vegetarian, all organic, and sometimes non-deodorant wearing, etc. But there are a lot of yogis who are really great people that eat meat, wear makeup and don’t always eat organic foods.
If we could remember that we are all different and no one is better than anyone else, no matter what someone told you, then we would be better people and better yogis. No judgment is something we all need to work on, including me, both on and off the yoga mat. So the next time you see me wearing my lipstick in class, just smile and remember that I thinks its ok, and if you want to know the shade I’m wearing, just ask me!
Vacation, what’s not to love! As I sit here on the beach on my last day of vacation, I could beat myself up for not accomplishing all that I wanted to do on this trip, but instead I can only think how lucky I am to have all the blessings and opportunities in life that I have. This is my third Florida vacation this year. It was a monumental year since I turned 50 – a trip was necessary for my birthday! Then in June we took a family vacation which was great since my sister and her kids were able to join us. Now this trip was just my youngest daughter and I, just a getaway for no reason.
As I’m getting older, I am so drawn to the beauty and magnificence of the ocean. It is vast, powerful and beautiful, as is life and each one of us. We have so many chances to embrace life. I think my yoga practice has made me realize what life has to offer. I had time with my daughter to shop, laugh and talk. I took beach walks every day. I journaled. I blogged. I slept great and had good food. I went to four great hot yoga classes. I kept up on email, Facebook (I know right!?) and text messages. Time on and off the mat is beautiful and needed and all part of this life we are living. I hope you have experienced some joy off you’re your mat as well as on it. Here’s to vacation and life! You deserve it all!
So I’ve taken the leap and started blogging. For years I have privately journaled about being a yoga teacher, the ups and downs, and opening and then closing of my two yoga studios (both East and West side). I’ve decided that many of my yoga teacher friends may actually find some of the things I’ve been through inspiring and helpful in their own journey as teachers, studio owners and students of yoga. So I hope you find my blog interesting and possibly helpful.
I am a true blue believer that when on door closes, another one opens. This happened to me just a few weeks ago. I had just given my notice to the current studio where I was teaching yoga. I decided for several reasons that I was ready to get back to my own style of yoga teaching. (This is another blog itself!) Anyhow, the very next day I received an email from another yoga teacher friend who asked if I would be interested in co-teaching a new corporate client. Of course, I said yes, because this is my favorite kind of teaching, not to mention the pay was almost double what I was currently making. Then, a week later I got a call from another friend asking if I wanted to take over a yoga class that they were teaching at a church. Again, my favorite style of teaching, and again, double the pay. So, my friends, when we align with our path, doors open. Stay true to your path or figure it out like I am doing! “Thoughts do become things.” If something in your life isn’t working, consider closing a door. Then let’s wait and see what door opens for you! I’m excited for you!
I would love to continue to connect with you via Facebook – Evansville Yoga Teacher Training and/or Chris Crews. On Twitter – Evansville Yoga. And of course, I would love to have you on my email list! Let’s stay connected. I have so much to share with you! Namaste’ Chris
Chris Crews, Director of Evansville Yoga Teacher Training, offers private yoga instruction, 200 hr and 300 hr YTT, as well as workshops on various topics of Yoga and Lifestyle. Contact her today to learn more - www.clcyoga.com
, Evansville, Indiana, USA