I’ve been doing yoga since I was nineteen.  I’m 57 now.  I didn’t get my teacher training until I was 55.  My thought is that since I’ll be practicing yoga anyway, I may as well make myself useful to others.  And who knows, it may provide the supplemental income that allows me a more comfortable retirement when I get there.

I figure I am a solid ten years away from retirement.  I couldn’t tell you from here when that date will be.  I am told that retirement is most usually a bit of a surprise.  You know it’s coming but you don’t know when.  I want to have some teaching under my belt before I am in retirement.  I want to know I am doing some good.

I have been able to pick out new teachers, the not so seasoned ones.  I prefer the teachers that have some instruction time under their belt.  I want to be one of those by the time I retire.  I want to have the experience to match my greying hair.

I appreciate the new teachers.  I learn from them as a new teacher myself.  I can pick out the parts they are working on.  I can hear when the phrasing is still being cleared up.  I can see what they have mastered and are comfortable with.  It reminds me to do the same.  It reminds me to work with the poses I know to get into and out of with grace and control.  While I like to add variety, I need to be sure I can guide my group into and out of these postures and variations with knowledge and control.  I am reminded to breakdown a new posture into steps and only as far as the group is comfortable.  I am reminded to watch my students and truly see them.

I want to be a seasoned instructor by the time I retire from my full-time career job.  I want my grey hair and my solid instruction to complement each other as the strength of experience.  I am blessed to be teaching yoga at all considering all the new teachers getting their yoga certificates every day.  I am blessed and I will continue to grow in my practice and my teaching to be sure that I can continue this blessing and continue to breathe.