Teaching Yoga and Building Self-Confidence

Many Yoga teachers seem to glow withskill and leads to a path of favorable possibilities.
self-confidence. Most Yoga instructors willingly acceptWith that said, teaching or practicing Yoga enhances
invitations to participate as guest speakers at localmany positive life skills. Self-confidence is not an
health fairs, conventions, or health expos. Whereaccident. With the best possible teacher, Guru, or
does all this confidence come from? Is it an inherentSwami, a student will grow and prosper. Within the
quality or an outgrowth from teaching Yoga toheart and mind of each student, a noble teacher
others?wants to instill a set of circumstances that
Generally speaking, most of us start with confidenceaccomplishes the intended purpose of self-awareness
as children. We say everything and anything, but wewithin the student.
learn to keep quiet at the right time. Some of us feelMuch like the gratification of raising children and
bad about our outbursts as children, and we becomewatching them prosper, every Guru or Swami should
conditioned to remain in silence. Others only interjectfeel the same way toward his or her students. For
their ideas, when they are 100% certain they havestudents, this can be accomplished with the careful
the right answer.guidance of a competent Yoga teacher or through
Granted, there are some adults who chatter all dayintensive training. Yet, what holds most people back?
long. They talk too much, or they offend people inThe fear of failure is what holds humanity behind. If
the process. Their entire life may become a cycle offear is justified, then we must follow logical thought
chatter and making excuses for what they have saidand instincts. There are many of us who have been
in the past. Sometimes, whole families spend theirprogrammed to fear accomplishments and success.
lives apologizing for the constant babbling of oneThe reason being: Constant success would be an
family member.unfamiliar set of circumstances. We would rather be
Coming into complete consciousness with the wordsfamiliar with failure than succeed.
we say requires mindfulness; and as mentionedIn most cases, we hold our self-confidence in "check."
above, it can be a life-long struggle for some of us.We wish and pray for something good to happen,
Therefore, mindful speaking is a practiced skill. Webut we do not take action. Wishing and praying are
learn when and how to speak. Self-confidence followsgood for us, but they must be followed by action.