One of the most challenging parts of doing a Yoga Training as a teacher is getting people to sign up for the training itself.
One would think that the constant hours and attention each student needs and requires for them to become effective teachers would be the hardest part, but for me, that’s the vegan icing on a very delicious cake!
I’ve created a story below to help you understand this challenge for me and maybe see if you fall under this category for yourself.
Visualize this…
You’re sitting on a bench in a barren park with an old rusty playground that’s rotting and the children are sadly standing by unable to use some of the equipment but managing best they can by being exposed to old nails and broken parts. The parents are all staring at their phones and completely disconnected to their kids and to the present circumstance. You notice something is off, so you get up and walk a block north to discover a beautiful park filled with green grass, big trees and a rainbow of flowers. A large and colorful playground with all sorts of slides and swings sits waiting for children to come play. There are games for adults to play as well, and hammocks hanging from the big trees for those who want to relax instead. The whistling of the wind against the trees plays a beautiful sound that makes it feel like nature is playing a symphony. You even sense that the earth is breathing with you. It’s magical! You notice a sign with a box below it that says, “$5 donation is appreciated to maintain the upkeep of this playground.
You run back to the other playground and try to get the attention of the parents and the kids to tell them that there’s an amazing playground just a block from here, but they won’t listen. They are so consumed with their “comfortable” spot that they are blinded by the opportunities and possibilities that could be around the corner. Plus they give excuses like, “Oh, that’s too far. I don’t have time. I can’t afford the money to go there. We’ve been coming here forever. My friends are here…” Usually followed by, “Plus, I’m happy here. I’m fine. This gives me balance.” And you stand there looking at them in awe. You notice they are completely oblivious to the fact that they are in a rotten place. It’s as if they have a veil over their head and they are not willing to take if off. There’s a beautiful solution around the corner, but they just don’t think that there is a problem. And THAT is the problem. Thus you are left alone in that beautiful park, or you could choose to be blind with everyone else in the rusted playground.
Now imagine this is what I am faced with every time I talk to someone about yoga training. I know that the training is the same as this beautiful, vibrant, breathing, colorful park. It will brighten up your life and bring you tools to illuminate and manage your life on a daily basis so that the magic stays alive within. But you are choosing to stay in the rotted park with all the obstacles and excuses that hold you back from seeing more, seeing and experiencing the truth of the ancient yogis and sages before us.
So I will go one step further for you… I’ve already told you this park exists and it’s possible for you to go there with me. Which park will you choose?
Our invisible obstacles aka excuses we say to ourselves and to me are below. I have provided several solutions for each one.
Invisible Obstacle #1: “I can’t afford to go.”
I ask you, “Can you afford NOT to go?”
Visible Solutions:
- Use GOFUNDME.ORG. Set up an account and promote to everyone that you have this amazing passion to evolve and learn more about yoga and ask people for help. Be willing to give something back for their generous donation if possible. Be realistic with what you can give… maybe create a big yoga class when you get certified and invite everyone that donated, or just be honest and say that right now you can’t give anything but you promise to be committed and dedicated to the training and eventually pay it forward when you can. You’d be surprised what $20 here and $20 there can add up to.
- Use KICKSTARTER.COM. This setup does require for you to give back to investors at different tiers but it’s not specific as to what you have to give. You choose that so you can use this route if you want to be more elaborate. You’ll probably need to do a little video of yourself explaining why this will be beneficial for others that you are going to get your training done. Do you have a bigger vision with this training? Share that! Share your passion!
- Reach out to your whole family and friends and say “Hey loving family and friends! For my birthdays and holiday presents for the next year or two, I just want help with paying for my yoga training! Whatever you can give for this I would greatly appreciate it. I know it’s not orthodox to ask for gifts this way but wouldn’t you prefer to give me something that I really NEED instead of some random gift that will take you time to find and it might not fit or work for me?”
- Look for some odd jobs you can pick up on off hours that you could earn a few extra bucks here and there.
- Talk to the administrator of the training and see if you can create a payment plan that works for both you and the school.
- Look at your bank statements and see where you can save money like making your own coffee at home instead of getting Starbucks every day could save you $1,825 ($5 X 365 days)! WOW!! That’s a lot!!! That’s half the training right there! Look for habitual purchases that you could stop for a period of time to make this a priority. And if you immediately say, “I can’t stop” then you might have a Starbucks addiction. 😉 Don’t let them win! Hehe!
- TRUST! The nature of all things in life is that they come and they go. Nothing is constant. So no matter if you are holding on tight to your money, it will go somehow and then it will come again. So you might as well choose wisely where that money goes. Let go of your fear of lacking or not having enough. It doesn’t serve you.
Invisible Obstacle #2: “I don’t have time. I have too much going on.”
Visible Solutions:
- Look at your calendar objectively. What can you shift for yourself in order to make space for the beautiful playground around the corner?
- If you have work and need to ask for time off from your employer then do it with time and tell them that this is an important trip for you and that you’ll be more productive and effective when you go learn these teachings.
- If you are self-employed, then you can make your own schedule, which is one of the main perks of being self-employed. It’s time to nip fear in the bud and take the plunge for yourself. Stand up, invest and walk over to that magical park! You have the blessing of making your own schedule! Use it for the best reasons like this!
- You’ll always have too much going on. This is the nature of our society nowadays. If you don’t have time to go play in a beautiful playground which is just a few days break from your life, then you need to setup your life better. And this is how the training can help you figure that out.
Invisible Obstacle #3: “My spouse/parent/family won’t let me.”
Visible Solutions:
- If you are over 18 years of age then you can choose for yourself what you need. This is YOUR life. If you are in a relationship that doesn’t allow you to grow or evolve for yourself, then I would sit back and ask yourself, “Who’s life am I living?” If you feel in your core that this is what you need for yourself, then have a grounded and loving conversation with your family member and tell them that you need their support for this because it will help your relationship get stronger. Be brave for those in your life to help them see that you are independent and you know what’s best for you. You will be such a great example for your family and for those in your community when you can make a bold decision like this for yourself… against all odds.
- Make a plan and show it to your family so that they can see you are being responsible and are serious about this opportunity. You will be committed and dedicated to it but won’t forget your family responsibilities.
Invisible Obstacle #4: ”I don’t know if I’m ready.”
Visible Solutions:
Ask yourself these few questions to see if you are ready.
- Am I eager to learn more?
- Do I want to find solutions to manage my life better?
- Am I willing to put effort into my growth?
- Am I willing to learn alternate ways to become happier every day?
- Am I willing to work through the above invisible obstacles to empower myself?
If you answered YES to most of these questions then you are ready. You don’t need to be an advanced physical yoga practitioner to gain this knowledge. You just have to be willing to learn – which is actually not always easy to find.
Please join me in this beautiful, majestic park! It can get lonely over here even though one’s spiritual journey is personal and individual.
I’m looking for a few more seekers and players!
