Archive for month: January, 2015

Teaching Pilates, teaching yoga, teaching anything…Is an opportunity for transforming and transformation.

As a teacher (Pilates or otherwise) we have the rare and beautiful opportunity to be transformed as well as be a catalyst for transformation and it takes little more from us than to consistently show up with an open heart and mind, to be willing to see the greatest potential in ourselves and our students, and to trust our gifts – knowing that bringing our whole selves to each moment will bring forth change.

 

So far this year this has been a major theme in every conversation I’ve had with teachers all over the world as well as the predominant thought in my own teaching and practice:

My life and my teaching are indelibly intertwined. I cannot separate my mom self from my teacher self from my sister, wife, or friend self, because when I do I become divided. I become fraudulent, false, and unwittingly the victim of my own misalignment. And to put it very plainly, I start believing my own B.S. and making up reasons why I can be angry and less than thoughtful to one person or in one sphere of my life, but must uphold the highest degree of calmness, kindness and integrity in another sphere.

I am a teacher and a wife in the same way. I am a wife and friend in the same way. I am a mother and teacher in the same way. I am an entrepreneur and sister in the same way. I live my life — all of it — with clarity of purpose that doesn’t stop at the studio doors or once I get home.

This is what I tell myself and try to put into action. AND IT’S HARD!

But when I am able to do this I feel a tremendous sense of flow and ease, even synchronicity; doors open, money comes, support shows up, students inquire.

So what does this mean for you? How do we work on this?

We do it by looking at our beliefs, at our stories, and those areas in our life where it feels stressful — or we have a negative or stressful thoughts about. We do it by changing behavior first and foremost.

I’ve been thinking about this phrase:

 

Setting goals is the death of success —

Changing behavior is the key!

This this has been coming up A LOT this week as I’ve been working with teachers to strategize for the new year.

Lots of worthy goals and yet so many underlying behaviors that make those goals totally moot and truthfully – totally impossible.

Here’s an example:

My goal: To teach as much as I can this year, to gain experience, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way.

My belief: That what I want most is to make a life-changing impact on people that goes beyond their bodies and reaches a more heart-centered or personal place. I can’t do that in Pilates because Pilates students just want to work on their bodies so I can never truly make the difference I want.

Hmm…so, we say we want to teach as much as possible. WHY? Why would we teach as much as possible if we believe that we can’t really bring our whole hearts and all of ourselves to the table, or that we can never help our students transform their lives because that’s not what Pilates does (or what Pilates students want)?

Once we look at it, it seems UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!

These kinds of thoughts are so PREVALENT AND create so much suffering and misalignment in our lives.

We have a belief, but we set out to do something that is actually counter to our underlying belief or behavior. We behave according to the belief and therefore never reach our goal.

Perhaps you can think of an example where this is happening for you right now. Any place where you feel stuck there is likely this out-of-alignment happening.

Try this exercise today:

1. Take a moment to think about what feels stressful about your current teaching situation. Jot down a few ideas or scenarios.
   Example: I am not making the amount of money I want to make because I can’t seem to attract enough new students.
2. What is the story or belief about this stressful situation?
   Example: I am not a good enough teacher (don’t have enough training, didn’t train with the right people, etc.)
3. Ask yourself: Do I really believe that I am not good enough? Can I really know, with 100% certainty, that I don’t have enough training (didn’t train with the right people, to make the money I want?
4. Now sit a moment and feel if the belief supports the goal. If it does, than good going! If it doesn’t, then how can you begin to change the belief and linked behaviors?
   Example: No, this belief does not support my goal. What I can do to change my belief is to focus on my skills, my strengths and what my biggest advocates love about my teaching. I can get testimonials from those students and put them everywhere. I can craft my marketing to highlight my skills and strengths and attract the students the need what I have to offer.

This is the power of transformation that teaching has to offer us.

It gives us an opportunity to be honest and real with ourselves and therefore translate – by example – these qualities to our students.

This is one way we can have an UNDIVIDED TEACHING LIFE; bring our WHOLE SELF to teaching every time! Don’t hold back. Teach from a place of knowing ourselves as fully as possible and being willing to open to whatever the experience brings.

This is, after all, what we hope for our students, isn’t it: openness, willingness, curiosity, their whole selves?

I’d love to know what you think about this…Comment and share below.

 

May you all have an inspired and undivided year!

Chantill