Sherpas

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Yoga is 1% theory and 99% practice.
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois


I grew up in a Sears home. My grandfather ordered a house from the Sears and Roebuck catalogue and built it on land in the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. At the heart of the house, where my parents still live, is a staircase. To this day, I still remember the exact places on that staircase where the wood gives way and creeks with an audible moan. As a teenager coming home later than my curfew, if I did not avoid those places, the sound would stir my mother from that twilight sleep that all parents experience when their children are not at home safely in bed yet. I became an expert trekker of that staircase.

When western mountain climbers and adventurers attempt to hike Mount Everest, most employ native mountain guides, or Sherpas. The Sherpa knows the dangerous mountain pathways intimately and leads the way for the trekkers to ensure safe passage.

As Yoga teachers, we are guides on the pathway of growth and transformation. I am normally an open minded person, but my friends know that I simply have no tolerance for Yoga teachers who do not practice. If you are a Yoga teacher now who is reading this and are not practicing daily, I will not go as far to say that you should not teach because the way of the Universe is perfection and we are all exactly where we need to be right now. Yet, I am the voice that I wish I had heard during my Yoga teacher training. Practice, practice, practice. A good rule of thumb is that your practice time during the week should exceed your teaching time. The world has enough dabblers. Snoop Dog, the grandfather of hip hop music, said that if you are going to do something, be great at it.

All great Yoga teachers have a great commitment to their personal practice.

Remember to nourish yourselves regularly- drink from the well that quenches your thirst- one is only able to give from an overabundance of energy. Eat well. Get enough sleep. Spend time in nature. Turn off the tv. Turn off the tv. Seek out sources of inspiration. I stay inspired by reading and spending time with teachers on a regular basis. Having a formal relationship with a teacher yourself can be invaluable. There is great karma attached to teaching. It is a huge responsibility. As teachers, we need to be so intimately familiar with the terrain of asana, pranayama and meditation that we are able to illuminate that path for others.

Teach with a bright, cheerful countenance using examples, reasons, and scriptural citations.
At the conclusion of the teaching, the lecturer and the listeners together should dedicate the virtue of the session to the welfare of all sentient beings.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama