WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO FILL UP YOUR OWN CUP AS A YOGA TEACHER & HOW YOU CAN DO IT
I KNOW how it feels when the cup is empty.
I KNOW how it feels when there’s nowhere to draw inspiration from.
I’ve felt it many many times. I KNOW what it feels like to slip out of your own practice.
I KNOW what it’s like to feel like you’ve completely lost the connection to yourself or your practice.
You begin to ask yourself, who am I to teach? What it is actually that I love so much about yoga and teaching?
I KNOW what it’s like to feel like “maybe that was it, maybe yoga is not for me anymore”.
Thoughts of not being good, strong or dedicated enough begin to pop up in your head.
It’s easy to slip into thoughts that you should always feel inspired in your own self practice.
That you should only get on your mat when it feels fun, you feel great and capable.
That you “should” LOVE to practice on your own.
That as a teacher you don’t need to go to other teachers classes as that’s a sign of weakness.
That having a solid daily self-practice - THAT’s what makes you a REAL teacher.
I’ve felt all of these things and doubted myself, many many times.
I’ve been hard on myself for not always being that 110% inspired, motivated, strong and fully dedicated practitioner and teacher.
So here I am, reminding you that feeling all of the above is completely NORMAL and okay.
It’s normal to wonder if you’re good enough. Strong enough. Skilled enough.
It’s normal to feel uninspired.
Thoughts like these come to me too every now and then.
Even after 12 years of teaching I still have moments where I feel uninspired, disconnected and wonder if teaching yoga’s something I really want to be doing.
What I do know now THOUGH - which wasn’t always the case - is that it’s time…
It’s time take off my teachers hat, drop the role of leading at the front of the room and go back to the mat.
To move from my head back into my body. It’s time for ME.
My practice.
To reconnect.
To allow myself to be held and guided.
It’s TIME TO FILL UP MY OWN CUP.
To FEEL.
To SOAK IN new inspiration.
To reflect. On life. My path and my role as a teacher. Am I teaching in line with my values? Does this way of teaching still resonate? Do I want to go in another direction?
Oh how I wish someone had told me this long time ago!
it’s not a weakness to feel uninspired as a yoga teacher - It’s simply a sign.
A sign that you’ve been giving more than you’ve been receiving - now it’s time to fill up your own cup.
And please hear me when I say that it’s non-negotiable to do so!
Unless you’re ready to give up on your role as a teacher you need to make sure that you give back to yourself. It’s super important.
Depending on how your life looks there’s always some way you can do so:
If you’re living a busy life you could try to carve out 1,5 -2 hrs of your weekend to take a longer online yoga class with a teacher you know will inspire you. To make it a little extra special for yourself you could create a nice atmosphere by putting up with fresh flowers, candles and your favourite music. Maybe listen to a guided meditation and spend some time journaling?
If you have more time, do some research and try to find an inspiring yoga workshop or longer in-person yoga event close to where you live, or even a bit further way in another city.
What I’d recommend the most though, if you have the time and the money, is to immerse yourself deeper. To invest in yourself and your role as a teacher. Try to spend more than just a few hours on your mat to fill up your own cup. It usually takes more time than that, and it will be worth every second of it.
Try to go somewhere where you can disconnect completely from your life - into some sort of retreat, immersion or training.
A day, weekend or longer yoga retreat or teacher training can truly shift the way you feel about yourself and your practice, and as a result you’ll automatically feel more passionate about teaching yoga. It’s as simple as that.
To wake up and step into the yoga room for FOR YOU and YOUR WELLBEING, surrounded by people who are as passionate about yoga as you, to reconnect and deepen their practice can be very profound and empowering.
It’s something you’ll never regret doing, I promise.
Make sure to nurture yourself dear yoga teacher, it’s the only way to keep your teaching sustainable.
On that note here at Inspiro Yoga we’ve curated a retreat immersion with all of this in mind.
We call it La Práctica - as it’s all about exactly that - THE PRACTICE.
It’s a 6 day Vinyasa Yoga Retreat and Yoga Teachers Immersion in Ericeira, Portugal this upcoming May 7-12.
A retreat filled with daily 2 hour morning Vinyasa with meditation, pranayama and journaling, asana workshops, philosophy lectures, hands-on adjustments workshops as well as surprises and evening events.
It would be a true joy to have you with us and we GUARANTEE you’ll leave with a feeling of having filled up your cup.
I hope to see you on the mat soon,
Much love, Lisa
