i am not here to teach you

Hey, it Karen here again, sharing some of my thoughts and experiences from the month that has flown on by! 

Lately, I have been experiencing moments where I feel a glimmer - that little buzz of happiness in my chest - when I reflect on how very blessed I am to have been able to learn from YOU in my teaching practice. 

You might be surprised to hear that, as a yoga teacher, I am not here to ‘teach’ you. I view it more as a role to hold space for you to explore YOUR practice. I am simply a stepping stone. 

To be in the position I am in to hold space and teach, I first had many years of practising as a student. I have spent decades practising meditation, reading, listening, reflecting, asking questions and embodying my learning. 

If my calling had been to be a chef or a singer, I’m sure I would have invested my time into learning those skills, but my passion was inner exploration, so here we are (trust me when I say you do not want me cooking or singing for you!).

In yoga, we are given the word 'Abhyasa', a regular and consistent practice done over a long period. I recently reflected on Abhyasa for my class planning and was reminded of one of my meditation teachers talking about perseverance.

We all know the buzz of starting something and the joy of completing something, but it is that part in the middle where the actual work happens.

It isn’t big gestures and grandiosity that create results; it is the boring, monotonous, everyday repetition that is barely even Instagram-worthy. 

It can often feel like we have so far to go, and we are not getting there as fast as everyone else. However, if we do a little each day, enough to make progress but not so much we become overloaded, we will get there.

That is perseverance.

That is Abhyasa. 

It is dedication to what matters, dedication to this human experience. Dedication to YOUR human experience.

Perhaps this is why we call yoga a ‘practice’. This is why my teaching is a practice and not just a profession. Because the intention behind these practices is to learn, grow and gain insight. Every time I attend a yoga class I am practicing how to embody what I am learning. Every time I teach a class, I practise expressing what I am learning. Then, I return to the mat as a student and practice embodying that again. I have done this for decades and hope to do so for decades more. 

I invite you to consider what you are genuinely practising in your life. What are you repeatedly and consistently doing daily, and where is that practice leading you? Stay the course or make a change, but be sure to take it slow and steady. It is the small steps that will have the most significant impact.  

Persevering with new things, for example - I went to a SUP class with some of the Nin Yoga teachers last weekend! I was wobbly and fell in, but after a couple of hours, I got the hang of it. 

I could not have had such a great day without some perseverance 

And now Jenny, what needs extra perseverance in your own life? As corney as it is, the new year is usually an exceptionally energetic time to get stuck into something.

Feel free to reply to this email and let us know, and we will note down to check in on you a few months into 2025 to see how it's going 

See you in class?

Karen Gruber

(Studio & Community Manager)

P.S. Need some help setting those intentions? We have a workshop for that exact purpose on the 2nd of January at Nin Yoga Penrith, with all profits going toward disadvantaged street animals and children in the Philippines. You can book your spot by clicking here