Last week, I talked about the cost of discipline and how creating a habit takes more than 21 days like many of us had been previously informed. Although the being disciplined is not the most fun or comfortable route to take in life, it is the more productive choice and an essential decision to make in order to improve who we are.
I used to teach a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training program which would take 9-10 months for my students to complete. On the first day of the program each year, I reminded my students that becoming a certified yoga teacher is secondary and that the self-transformation through the process is the primary benefit that they will experience. At the end of the program, they have all agreed that they’re not the same person that they came in through the door on the first day. I’ve had students that seemed to be polar opposites or conflicting personalities become best friends by the end of the program. I’ve had students who seemed to “have it all together” break down and experience a sense of authenticity and vulnerability that they say they’ve never felt before (you can read more about it in my book, “BE STILL: The Power of Biblical Meditation“). I took a break from running my 200-Hr YTT program last year so that I can focus on publishing my first book, and I am in the process of writing my second book which will be completed either by the end of this year or the beginning of next year; but once I am ready (and my schedule allows me to commit to teaching 200 hours), I will resume teaching my program… in Texas! (Check out my blog next week for details on Texas.) Now getting back on topic of transformation…
The reason why my students experienced a transformation is because they committed to learning how to be a good teacher; and part of being a good teacher is to be a good student. Yoga is not something you can teach or regularly practice half-hearted. Being a Yoga Teacher means you are also doing the work to get deeper in your journey towards authenticity. As a teacher to future Yoga Teachers, I always say that I am not an expert as there really is no such thing (that’s why it’s called a Yoga Practice, not Yoga Perfection). Even the greatest gurus in Yoga are learning and growing. With learning and growing comes discomfort, facing your fears, and doing the work necessary to heal from past hurts, traumas and tendencies that do not serve us for our highest good (which is to meet who you were created to be since the beginning of creation itself). I have had to face many obstacles (pride, bad habits, fears, etc.) in order to change and to grow… so that I can continue to change and grow. We must be intentional about constantly transforming to be better versions of ourselves. We never stay the same; We’re either striving to get better or allowing ourselves to get worse.
The process of transformation is hard, and it won’t happen overnight; but if you keep persevering and staying disciplined, you will be able to look back and see how much you have grown!
With Gratitude,
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Jheni Solis Wellness 