Re-Trains

As part of my training I am required to re-do Levels 1 and 2, and because I became a member of the training system's "special club" I could take both of these classes for free. Yep, that's right. Free. As in, not have to pay 400 bucks for each one. But the catch was that I had to do it before my club membership expired in late March. Feeling the pinch of becoming a single-income household, I wasn't about to let this opportunity to save a few bucks pass me by. So I did my Level 2 re-train in Sacramento in late February, and then Level 1 on a very rainy weekend in Los Angeles in March. In fact, the Level 1 was exactly one year after my journey began last year with my very first training in Newport Beach. Re-taking both of these foundational pieces to the puzzle was enjoyable for several reasons.
First, I met some very amazing people. One being a former truck driver who is now teaching yoga on a military base in Northern California. He's an older gentleman who looks like what I imagine Santa Claus would look like if he joined a motorcycle gang. He brought his wife with him because she just likes going to all of his trainings. And throughout the entire weekend she kept saying "huh? What'd she say?" every time the instructor gave her any directions. It was adorable to watch how he made sure she knew exactly what to do. And then there was the young Indian doctor who wants to incorporate some of the traditions from his Eastern background into his Western medical practice. An idea I am totally on board with.
And secondly, and probably most importantly, is that I am feeling much more relaxed with the whole idea of being on the "other side of the mat" in a yoga class. Teaching comes naturally for me. And doing yoga is probably second only to teaching. So last year I thought combining those two parts of my being would be a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong. Over the course of the past twelve months I have learned so much. Mostly about myself. I've learned that I'm afraid to teach adults, that I have difficulty focusing on multiple things in my life, and that I can get side-tracked very easily. Nothing new. I think these aspects about me have always been there. I've just never acknowledged them before. Maybe that's what they mean when they say "wisdom comes with age". Well if that's true, then I'm planning on living to be 120!
But here it is a year later and has any of this changed? No. I'm still terrified of teaching adults, still easily side-tracked, and still suck at multi-tasking. But the difference is I'm okay with it. I know those butterflies I feel in my stomach when I start teaching a group of adults eventually goes away. I've learned that there's a big difference between "teaching" and "leading" and that it's more important to develop my own style of teaching that comes from me rather than the training manual. I've also learned that multi-tasking just doesn't work for me. And as for getting so easily side-tracked? Okay, well I am working on that one.
So after spring break next week, the school year will finish with it's usual end-of-the-year blur of activities. After which I will turn my single-task mind to finishing up my training in the hot desert of Arizona as I take Level 5 at the Mind, Body, Fitness Conference in July. So what happens after I am certified? I haven't a clue. But that's okay. Because I do know that whatever it is, it will be the right thing at the right time for me.