The women stood in pairs around the shaded bar area, sheltered from the Egyptian sun, gazing into each other’s eyes as they balanced on one leg each in a paired dancer pose.
“As you look into her eyes, see her strength, her inner beauty, her compassion, her vast capacity to give and receive love and her limitless potential”
A year ago tomorrow I became a yoga teacher. In my final assessed yoga class I asked my class to look for the attributes in one another so that they could find them in themselves. In yogic philosophy, you can only see in others what already exists in you. In dancer pose I asked the group to dance with freedom and joy. The Dancer also asks you to overcome your fears as it is both a balance and a backbend and holds you right at the edge of your comfort zone. It’s my favourite yoga pose of all.
Becoming a yoga teacher was a part of my journey of self-development. It was a big part, and it was as important in my journey to becoming a coach as any of the specific coaching training that I had undertaken. This part of my journey was where I opened my heart and allowed myself to be vulnerable. When I allowed myself to be my most authentic self, I learnt how to enable others to be their most authentic selves. I learnt how to dance with freedom and joy and the following day, I would realise that this was my life’s purpose.
When I coach, I use the processes and skills that other coaches do, and I coach from my heart. I believe in the absolute capacity of all of my clients to make the changes that they need to, even if it’s not easy.
When I began investing in my own journey of self development, I didn’t want to be a different person from who I was, it was more as though I wanted to find my way to being my real self. I just didn’t know who that was.
When I set out on my journey, I wasn’t sure exactly what change I wanted to make, but I knew that I wasn’t living up to my full potential. My true nature is to live with love and joy, but I wasn’t happy or joyful. I realised that I had been surviving and existing rather than thriving and growing. I wasn’t feeling inspired and I wasn’t making the most of my one wild and precious life. I had to do better. I had taken the first step 6 years before I qualified as yoga teacher.
I invested in my happiness and I fought for my joy. I reconnected with my purpose and my inspirations. I’m not the only one who benefitted from me being my true self – because I am happier, those around me are happier too. Everyone benefits when we are our true selves.
In the words of Dr Seuss “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no-one alive who is you-er than you”.
So who are you really? Are you living up to your potential? Are there changes that you’d like to make but you aren’t sure where to start?
You don’t need to know the entire route just to take the first step.
Having found my way to living with freedom and joy, I want to share this with as many people as possible. So on Friday 4th December at 4pm I’m hosting a free webinar to share with you some ways to find your purpose and your inspiration. If you’d like to take the first step, this could be it!
Register here and start your journey.
