To be a teacher…
Today is the end of Summer season in the Northern hemisphere and we start to feel a shift of energy in Nature and within us. Just like leaves falling off the trees, we are urged to let go of what has served its purpose in our lives so we can create space for quietude and rest. Autumn is also the time of harvest and celebration when our previous efforts come to fruition. In the olden days and still amongst those who work with Mother Earth, September full Moon is the time to wrap up the hard work over the summer months and start preparing for the Winter season.
If you follow the lunar calendar, you would also know that today is the peak of the lunar cycle, the Super Full Moon. It urges us to reflect, to celebrate and to express gratitude for consistent guidance. Last night I had a very vivid dream which (without going into details) urged me and those around me to shed the weight of things that hold us back. I heard vividly number 9 which is the sacred number and means completion of a cycle and number 2024 to welcome what is coming in the new year.
I took it to heart and shared messages with those who were in my dreams and those who I felt needed to hear it. During our last retreat in Montenegro we had three core values that we decided to focus on: live consciously, give space and create community. The intention and the name of the program is 'Heal the Heart' and yes, we focused on Ahanata Chakra and these three phrases have definitely created its own effect on us all.
Give space. What does it mean?
When we were putting down what matters most for the Love Life Community, we wanted to make sure that we practice self acceptance and accept all as they are. We give freedom to everyone to be themselves. It is reflected on our website, in the retreat guidelines and on all our marketing materials. Those who attend our retreats regularly know that we encourage everyone to spend time on their own as well as in the group environment. We give guidelines but never turn them into rules. We are there to guide and to serve but not to force you to do anything that doesn’t feel right.
Space has become a very important word in my own life as well. I consciously chose to create more time to be and to reflect. I always find inspiration when I get to spend a few hours a day in the natural environment. Just like that, today’s morning walk inspired me to reflect on the last 9 month of my life and see what I feel most grateful for… What came up was feeling of gratitude for walking the Teacher’s path.
How does one become a teacher as a vocation?
When I think about it as a reflection on the last four decades of my life, it first started when I was very young and I would get frustrated when people ignored my presence and didn't hear what I tried to say. I wanted to grow up faster so they can see the importance of my words. As a consequence, my main priority in school was to get A grades so I could impress my parents and prove my worthiness. Later at the university, it was all about going the other way. I thought I knew everything there was to know and started skipping lessons and not paying much attention to what was in front of me. It did work for a couple of years where my academic excellence in high school helped me to get a free pass at university until I had a goal that helped me to regroup and focus. Fast forward to my early twenties where by chance at first, I become a martial art teacher. I trained young children at first as a hobby and then it became my bread-and-butter for a few more years of my life.
Somewhere during that time when I was teaching karate students, a desire to become a personal trainer appeared. I wanted to educate people on how to improve their physical health. Later it led me to bridge the gap between physical and mental wellbeing as I started exploring positive psychology.
Let’s fast forward a bit more when I realised it wasn't just physical and mental. There was something else missing, and it was the spiritual part. At some point in our lives, we all try to make sense of this World and our place in it and choose whatever helps us to get there. This is when Yoga and spirituality came into my life. Learning and practising holistic disciplines that would cover all of the above - the physical, the mental, the emotional and spiritual well-being of people become my path.
Now that we are here nearly 4 decades later since my appearance in this World, I continue my studies with joy and fascination (and an occasional frustration). It is about knowing myself and the World around me through personal experiences and of course, through the eyes and life changing experiences of my clients and students.
Deep inside from a moment of my birth I have always known that my main path in this life is to teach/to mentor. I didn't know what exactly I needed to teach but I allowed the path unfold itself. I have been doing it for nearly 2 decades of my life. It is where I see myself now and for the foreseeable future.
“If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it.”
― Yogi Bhajan
It would be foolish of us (teachers) to think that we know it all. Hence a teacher becomes an eternal student. Although, no matter how many qualifications we get or how much studying we do, it's about heart to heart connection and an impact on someone's life that makes it one of the most rewarding roles in the World. I am deeply grateful to all of my students and clients who allowed me to guide them and plant seeds of mindfulness in their minds. With some of you we stay connected for years and become a big part of each other’s lives. While others I see only once and when I get a message from you or about you, it always warms my heart, especially when you share how our encounter has changed the course of your life.
Teachers can’t take credit for you walking your path. We can simply illuminate a field of possibilities and inspire you to take the first step that can help you to find your way Home...
