I've been thinking lately about what keeps us going as teachers. What is it? Because you and I both know that sometimes it's just not easy.
It can be difficult to stay fresh, to stay present and to offer a truly open experience hour after hour.
What I notice in my own teaching is that the more I learn the more I love teaching. The more I am open to hearing, exploring and taking every hour as if it were my first the more I am able to offer.
We can do this in 2 ways:
First, we can make sure we take care of ourselves and nurture our strengths and skills by studying with other teachers. This could mean taking a workshop, or working out with another teacher or visiting another studio or even checking out someones blog or website to see what they are working on.
Second, we can open ourselves to learning during each class and each session. The moment we come into an appointment closed off, expecting the outcome and unwilling to see it as a fresh opportunity we loose so much of what that moment has to offer. Buddhists call it beginner's mind. I think of it as student's mind. If I am willing to let go of my knowledge and see each session for what it has to offer then I feel reinvigorated when I finish, not depleted.
Isn't that what we all want.
What do you do to stay inspired?
It can be difficult to stay fresh, to stay present and to offer a truly open experience hour after hour.
What I notice in my own teaching is that the more I learn the more I love teaching. The more I am open to hearing, exploring and taking every hour as if it were my first the more I am able to offer.
We can do this in 2 ways:
First, we can make sure we take care of ourselves and nurture our strengths and skills by studying with other teachers. This could mean taking a workshop, or working out with another teacher or visiting another studio or even checking out someones blog or website to see what they are working on.
Second, we can open ourselves to learning during each class and each session. The moment we come into an appointment closed off, expecting the outcome and unwilling to see it as a fresh opportunity we loose so much of what that moment has to offer. Buddhists call it beginner's mind. I think of it as student's mind. If I am willing to let go of my knowledge and see each session for what it has to offer then I feel reinvigorated when I finish, not depleted.
Isn't that what we all want.
What do you do to stay inspired?
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