What support do you need?
This afternoon I spent a long while planning my classes for the week. I sat down and looked at what I’ve taught in the last few weeks, thought about the poses that would bring more balance for the students, considered which physical focus hasn’t had enough airtime lately, and debated how to bring it together with a meaningful heart virtue and theme. I did this for each of the three in person classes and one online class I will teach this week.
When I left to go pick up my kids from school and I had these plans already wrapped up, I felt like a rockstar.
It seems so simple, but having a teaching plan makes a huge difference for me. I’ve been teaching long enough that I can walk into a room with no plan and still lead an effective class. There are moments when absolute magic happens because I don’t have a plan. But. I feel better with a plan.
I feel better with a plan because my home life is occasionally chaos. I have two school aged children and it’s possible that one will be sick, or school will start late and then my regular time before teaching will disappear. I am married and my husband’s job is incredibly unpredictable which means I could easily have scheduled to work on class while he gets them from school to activities - and then he has a job and I’ve got childcare duties. And who knows how well I will sleep on the night before teaching. Let’s face it, sometimes I just feel dry and it’s hard to pull something out of the air to teach. When I don’t have a plan I show up to class feeling nervous or stressed out.
The plan creates a much needed support. I want to teach at the highest level possible for me. When I feel stressed or worried, I am not at my best. Those feelings block me from being in the moment with the students. And they keep me from pushing my learning edges as the teacher. So, I spend afternoons planning when there are a million other things I could do. My plan helps me show up in the way I want to show up.
The question to ask yourself is:
What support do I need in order to show up in the way that I want to show up
Class planning is just one example in my life. There are a bunch of other ways I am building in more support because I don’t want to be mediocre as a teacher or as a human. I know that I need to meditate every day. I know that if I sleep better I am more focused. When I eat well I have more energy and clarity. When I’m taking on a big project I know it helps me to have other people lend their expertise. And when I’m struggling emotionally I lean on friends, family or my meditation teacher.
Without support you will feel more anxious and frantic. Without support you will work too hard and probably still won’t get the results you want. Without support you can easily become stuck in negative habits and feel powerless to change them. That’s why I love the question: What support do I need in order to show up in the way I want to show up?
We all have work to do in this world. And I believe that deep down we all want to do our best at it. When you build in support for yourself according to your own unique needs, you have a much better chance of showing up in a powerful and meaningful way for the great work of your life.
Contemplation:
What is an area of your life where you would like to show up fully and authentically - but you feel challenged to do so?
What is missing? What would help you show up more? How can you support yourself to be able to show up in the way you want to show up?
Feel free to get very creative with your answers on how to support yourself. If you really ask your Heart for guidance it’s amazing the responses it will give.
I’d love to hear how this goes for you. Leave a comment below or send me a quick note. And if you’re looking for some personal support, feel free to contact me to set up a coaching call. I love to support people on the journey to a more heart-full life.