In the first post of this series, I described some advantages of seeking mentorship as a yoga instructor, and/or offering your services as a mentor to another budding instructor. Some of you dearest readers might have wondered how you can offer time, energy, and mental space to that endeavor – given how you already likely juggle several important and demanding things such as your existing yoga teaching and practice life, family and other social life, other jobs, perhaps even higher education and/or service work – and oh yes, taking care of yourself, remember that one? Below I offer some ideas for incorporating mentorship into what you already likely do as an instructor and practitioner.
1) If you are a young and “green” (so to speak) teacher, seek the guidance of more experienced teachers through taking their classes and asking any questions afterwards. After almost every yoga class that I have ever taken, instructors have said some variation of “I’ll be sticking around for a little while, so if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, and I’ll be happy to talk for a bit.” As you begin to develop stronger relationships with certain teachers through becoming a regular student of theirs, ask if they might benefit from you “assisting” their classes. If you’ve been a diligently practicing student, they will likely have noticed – and appreciated – your practice skills, knowledge, and dependability. Most teachers are more than glad to have an extra demonstrator or pair of hands to make physical modifications, I’ll warrant.