2019 has not been an easy year, and on May 29, 2019 I decided to open a new door in my life and say YES to yoga teacher training. I wasn’t sure what to expect; all I knew was that I wanted to make changes in my life and step out of my comfort zone. During training we discussed deliberate practice and how we can apply this concept to our yoga practice, yoga teaching, and life in general. Now you may be wondering is there a difference between practice and deliberate practice? Absolutely! The way I look at it, if I just practice, then I am mindlessly going through the motions without any takeaways. If I’m deliberate with my practice, I’m intentional, focused, and working to be better than I was the previous day.
Deliberate practice is not an easy choice to make. Let’s be honest, Netflix did just release season 3 of The Crown. Cue internal struggle of either lying in bed and binge watching The Crown, or preparing for my Sunday class. After finally getting my two kids to bed after a long day at work, all I really want to do is crawl into bed and watch T.V. After 20 minutes of debating on what to do, I put down the remote and roll out my yoga mat. As I move through the flow, I take notes on where I can improve, and I do this each day throughout the week.
Then comes the moment of truth when I walk into the studio and teach the flow that I’ve been working on all week. For the next 60 minutes as the yogis are moving through the flow, I’m asking myself did my cues land for everyone, do the transitions work, and most importantly what am I going to do to make my next class even better. This is how I continue to grow not only as a yoga instructor, but also as a person. Deliberate practice helps me take on life’s challenges on and off the mat.
However, after my Sunday class this week, I will be watching an episode or two of The Crown.