Be the Change you want to see in your clients.

My friend, Ann McMillian (Canadian and Pilates Blonde Genius) just left Asheville after filming a phenomenal Online Workshop. We were talking about the Teaching from the Heart series and caring for ourselves as teachers. She immediately said “ Yes, all of us in this profession are Directive. We want to help and we give and we encourage. This is what we do but sometimes we do too much.” We don’t understand where we end and another begins and we develop negative outcomes for ourselves and those we are trying to help. When we are wired a certain way—Type A , always wanting to give our 2 cents and constantly thinking about how others should move, eat, act and think…Well, we lose perspective. We become less in touch and lose our ability to be intuitive and truly compassionate. Basically our Interoceptive abilities and mirror neurons are dampened down because we are not connecting back to ourselves and looking at how we can change and grow for the better. Instead the Beast ( Our inner super busy body personality) cannot be consoled. And left unchecked, we go on autopilot and will be an unsolicited mouthpiece of should and should not to our clients and loved ones.And we rarely have those brave enough around us to point out to us what is missing in our own life as far as balanced movement, nutrition, stress relief and downtime…Until we crash and then it becomes clear as day!

It is so important for us as teachers/influencers/leaders and first person experts of US to take a few moments each day to look inward and take inventory. This will all be explored in a bigger workshop ( be on the lookout!) but here is a teaser:

We all need an Emotional Strength, Flexibility and Balance Training program that we practice at least once a day. Here are a few things to consider and think about when you are taking the time for Emotional Fitness Training:

**Creating and Nurturing Self Belief : This is treating ourselves like someone we love very, very much. It is believing beyond a doubt that we are precious and worth taking care of in the best way.

**Finding and Honing the strength to face unforeseen situations and circumstances : We all need this one because Change will happen always. There are many strategies that I will share with you for work in the studio and in private life but number one is to keep your sense of humor, play and kindness.

**Stay Curious: This should not just be about movement. It should be in all parts of our lives with no age limit. Any teacher ( doesn’t matter what you teach) will have a richer and broader understanding of their specialty when they are living life to its fullest and really enjoying people. As movement teachers our fuel is innovation and creativity. Without these we are stale and close to death. Without these there will be little joy and laughter in the studio.

From my perspective movement and ease in the body is basically about finding the Joy. I really like that word. It is about finding the laughter, being playful and letting go. Dogma, rigidity, the wrong and the right way have no place in the studio or the life of a teacher.

Be the Change.

Love
Jen