{"id":11793,"date":"2023-03-03T10:50:56","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T10:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/hips\/the-10-most-life-changing-things-yoga-teachers-have-ever-said-to-me\/"},"modified":"2023-03-03T10:50:56","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T10:50:56","slug":"the-10-most-life-changing-things-yoga-teachers-have-said-to-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/03\/the-10-most-life-changing-things-yoga-teachers-have-said-to-me\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Most Life-Changing Things Yoga Teachers Have Said to Me"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019m going to tell it to you straight: Some days in yoga class, whatever the teacher is spouting off can sound like complete mumbo jumbo, despite their best intentions. Honestly, I still have no idea what exactly my third eye<\/a> is. The teacher might be saying something brilliant and comprehendable, but if I\u2019m not in the right headspace, I\u2019ll tune it out and focus on whatever I\u2019ve decided is more important at the time, whether a rundown of my to-do list or any of the million different ways I could have handled a project better.<\/p>\n

But then there are times when I am completely attuned to my practice and what the instructor is trying to share. When the teacher says exactly what I need to hear at exactly the right time I need to hear it, the stars seem to be aligned and I feel those things you\u2019re supposed to in a meditative practice<\/a>\u2014namely peace, understanding, and acceptance.<\/p>\n

These are the moments when my yoga practice enables the kind of transcendence I desire when I roll out my mat. And they\u2019re the lessons I continue to carry with me years later.<\/p>\n

The 10 Most Life-Changing Things Yoga Teachers Have Said to Me<\/h2>\n

1. Reach higher. It will steady you.<\/h3>\n

One day in class, many of us were struggling with our balance in Vrksasana<\/a> (Tree Pose) and falling out of the pose. The teacher said simply to reach higher. In the context of that moment, she meant to push just a little further and harder than what seemed immediately accessible and that would help steady us. She was right. Now, whenever I\u2019m struggling with work or having a particularly bad week, I remind myself to reach beyond what\u2019s immediately in front of me. Inevitably, little things start to line up and make the situation easier.<\/p>\n

2. Open your palms up if you want answers from the universe. Place your palms down if you want answers from within yourself.<\/h3>\n

This is something a teacher said when we were seated in Sukhasana<\/a> (Easy Pose) at the end of a class. It felt incredibly profound to be able to choose. And the act of recognizing that there is a distinction between these two choices changed the way I approach most problems. This sentiment helped me understand that sometimes I don\u2019t have all the answers\u2014and that I am allowed to let the universe show me what is needed as I let life unfold.<\/p>\n

3. Notice when you are being selfish. Replace it with gratitude.<\/h3>\n

Sometimes when I\u2019m experiencing a stressful day, I\u2019ll think it\u2019s the worst thing that\u2019s ever happened to anyone. Maybe I forgot my laptop or an article I\u2019m writing won\u2019t turn out how I want. The moment this teacher said this, it reminded me that obsessing over tiny inconveniences leads to unhappiness. I find that how I show up to the world is better\u2014and healthier\u2014when I\u2019m less self-obsessed and try to focus on gratitude. I have a working laptop; I get to write stories for a living.<\/p>\n

\"Happy<\/figure>\n

4. Speak kindly to yourself.<\/h3>\n

I am the queen of smack-talking myself. Sometimes I need to be reminded that telling myself I\u2019m stupid for not getting something done is not helping anyone. The simple practice of catching myself being unkind, and then changing that to kindness, is incredibly redemptive.<\/p>\n

See also<\/em> Unfriend These Two Kinds of Self-Talk<\/a><\/p>\n

5. I had a bad day today. But it\u2019s OK to have a bad day.<\/h3>\n

In one 6 a.m. class, my yoga teacher told us right from the outset that she was having a bad day. Her leg was hurting, she was running late to teach the class, and it was raining to boot. But she still showed up. And, she said, focusing on teaching the class and sharing yoga with us helped her. She didn\u2019t chastise herself for having a bad day\u2014she simply accepted it and moved along. I try to channel that sentiment every time my days seem bad. Acknowledging that it\u2019s okay to have a bad day sometimes feels like a revelation.<\/p>\n

6. Decide what your body is capable of, not what the next person on the mat over from you is doing.<\/h3>\n

I can be competitive\u2014even during yoga class when I\u2019m supposed to be focused on myself and my practice, not whether my Wild Thing<\/a> is looking fierce. Being reminded that the only place I need to focus my attention is my own mind and body is a tremendous help. Of course, it applies not just in yoga class but at work, on Instagram, and with my friends. When I pay attention to my own capabilities and simply do my best, I\u2019m so much happier and way more productive than when I\u2019m constantly comparing myself to everyone else.<\/p>\n

7. If something in your life isn\u2019t serving you, quietly thank it for the lesson\u2014and let that sh-t go.<\/h3>\n

Some days, you just need someone to tell it like it is, without frills, preferably with a sense of humor. I often drag myself down because I\u2019m holding onto something for too long, whether it\u2019s a relationship, an argument, or something I\u2019m trying to force at work. This yoga teacher reminded me that it\u2019s actually okay to let \u201cthat sh-t\u201d go (and that it\u2019s also okay to laugh when a teacher drops a well-placed swear word during yoga practice).<\/p>\n

See also 4 Poses to Build Confidence (and a Sense of Humor)
<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Person<\/figure>\n

8. Sometimes you just need to do Legs Up the Wall. Why? Because sometimes less is more.<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m always pushing myself\u2014in life, at work, and yes, when I practice yoga\u2014so it\u2019s taken me a very long time to understand this concept. When a yoga teacher said this before instructing us to do the restorative, Viparita Karani<\/a> (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose) rather than Salamba Sarvangasana<\/a> (Supported Shoulderstand) or Sirsasana<\/a> (Headstand), it felt like a revelation to me. The lesson that choosing something more restorative and less complicated can actually help you feel more powerful has stayed with me since that day.<\/p>\n

9. \u201cOne of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn\u2019t exist. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.\u201d<\/h3>\n

A teacher read this Stephen Hawking quote at a time when I was doubting some changes and choices and generally feeling  lost and adrift. It struck a deep chord with me. If nothing is perfect (and that\u2019s a scientific fact!), then it\u2019s okay if my path isn\u2019t perfect. If nothing is perfect, then I will probably never know exactly what I\u2019m doing. And if nothing is perfect, then that\u2019s exactly the way the universe is supposed to be.<\/p>\n

10. Be like a tree. Stay connected to the earth. Everything that separates us from being peaceful will dissolve when we are rooted.<\/h3>\n

This one could drift into the confusing realm of Zen, rather than yoga, sayings. But it made profound sense to me in the moment. When I feel my roots\u2014including my family, my friends who have known me for years, the things I love to do\u2014I always come back to a feeling of peace. On days when I experience moments of doubt and insecurity, I try to come back to being connected to the earth, to my roots, to who I am.<\/p>\n

This article has been updated. Originally published May 2, 2018. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/figure>\n

Sometimes yoga teachers get it completely right.<\/p>\n

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