Teaching Under The Influence Of..

Teaching under the influence of self, is the hardest thing for me personally.  There are so many factors that go into designing and implementing a class, and the last thing that should play a part in it is your own emotions.  Normally, I am able to put aside anything I am dealing with personally, but for some reason, tonight was a different story.
Stress can play tricks with your mind and body, making you feel sad, angry, disconnected from others, or even feeling sick.  Yoga teaches you to move through the stress you are harboring, allowing you freedom of expression in your own practice, connection to your breath and the ability to put aside the things that are causing you stress to focus on yourself.  Considering I am a yoga educator, you would think I could manage my own stress!
Stress manifests it self in many ways for me.  I have learned over the years how to react in stressful situations, diffusing them before they become more than they should.  However, I have yet to manage all the little things that tend to creep up on me and finally ignite with a simple little spark.  Breathing techniques, and my own powerful yoga practice will usually put my mind and body back into a more clear and focused place.
Teaching others these techniques when you can't implement them on yourself proves to be quite difficult. Trying to stay focused inside the whirlwind of thoughts that circulate throughout your head is a task all on its own.
I could easily take this experience tonight and beat myself up about it, or learn from it.  I will always learn from every experience.  Coming back to the reasons I chose the life I lead, loving the way I feel after teaching yoga, embracing all that is good in my life lets my stress just dissipate on its own.  I will just sit back.. and feel..

Namaste