Spiritual Growth of a Yoga Teacher
“Deep immersion in the flow of Yoga practice brings valuable gifts of understanding the nature of one’s own consciousness and energy, the development of wisdom and spiritual strength”
The problem of the need to transfer deeper knowledge to students is faced by all serious instructors who are responsible for teaching yoga. Sometimes this need comes into conflict with existing experience and it is felt that there is a clear lack of knowledge and personal maturity. This understanding is enhanced especially if the group or individual practitioners are already ready to perceive spiritual things.
In this case, it would be wrong for the instructor to become depressed and self-flagellate, since in reality everything is much simpler than it seems.
The following options are possible:
– Students can go further, satisfying their spiritual hunger on their own. They should be directed to this, advised to read spiritual texts;
– Someone can look for another, more experienced teacher in the spiritual aspect, and such seekers should not be kept around, but on the contrary, one should be encouraged to look for a more experienced teacher;
– The yoga instructor understands that he needs to grow spiritually and this serves as an incentive for him to personal work, study of theory and deeper personal practice;
– A yoga teacher should be aware that he cannot know everything, give answers to all questions, this is normal. And if it is impossible to help a student with advice, this does not mean that there is no solution to the problem.
Instructions from yoga masters. Shambhu school
In any case, a teacher can be a starting point for the spiritual flight of people or become an accompanying, spiritual mentor for some, it all depends on the specific situation.
Of course, you don’t want to part with like-minded people and spiritually close people, and therefore, it’s best to continue to improve yourself, study spiritual literature, reflect, deepen, attend advanced seminars and lectures – don’t stand still!
During this period, one must immerse himself with great zeal in the study of spiritual literature and read the biographies of saints, sages and yogis. Read highly spiritual texts and instructions of ascetics, study the theory of yoga, etc., accumulate a knowledge base and activate further development.
The maturity of the soul, the experience and wisdom of a yoga teacher who is serious about his mission and does not fall into “stagnation” will steadily grow, for this you need to make every effort.
The spiritual progress of a yoga instructor is much faster than if he were only concerned with himself, if he were an independent practitioner. Since responsibility to students, other people is a powerful incentive for self-development. An analysis of the difficult situations of his students, a sincere desire to help them, the need to possess a wide range of knowledge and experience – quickly lead a yoga teacher to spiritual progress, provided that he follows all the prescriptions of the yogic tradition.