One of our recent graduates Paddy Deeming talks about his propensity to procrastinate and his experience when it comes to embarking on a course such as this
As politicians have a propensity to prevaricate, a lot of us have the propensity to procrastinate.
I have always envied people that just seem to get things done. A blink of the eye and there they are, prepared and ready to rumble, with a self-assured manner and forgivable although testing smugness, brimming with self-confidence. You know the type, the person that shows up and their passion is living through them. I used to think it was genetic but a recent change in perspective has altered this perception.
When we start to practice presence, observing passively, feeling centered, tapping into the energy surrounding us and rejuvenating through meditation and mindfulness, behavioral patterns that inhibited effective performance naturally start to fall to the wayside.
My issues with procrastination centered around day-dreaming. A skill I cultivated and then mastered in maths class. I loved to escape into my imagination; and yes you guessed right I am an enthusiastic Harry Potter fan and no I’m not an accountant. Rather desultory at University, I was nonetheless disappointed when answers as to what I should do with my life, didn’t fall into my lap afterward. In other words, I did not stumble across my dharma.
Procrastination and slipping into monotonous and repetitive routines formed the framework of a behavioral pattern that eventually became a hindrance. Yoga, however, changed things for me. There is no need for me to recite the benefits of yoga, if you’re asking yourself, as you might be at this moment in time, whether a YTT is a potential next step, you probably know them. But a welcomed change I noticed was an enhancement in energy levels and a greater sense of calmness which in turn meant I was less prone to procrastinate.
It is not the corollary to enroll in a yoga teacher training course when you inevitably become a donee of the benefits of yoga. But from practicing yoga you probably have started to cultivate a greater awareness of yourself and your impact on the world around you. Maybe you’re not just ‘bearing’ the London tube journey to work anymore, seeking solace in the prospect of a few downward dogs to push into later that evening, or you have begun to question the processed food industry and the harm it does to the natural world and our health – inadvertently practicing Ahimsa by adopting vegetarianism or equipoise in your dietary habits.
Although it is unlikely you will find a definitive sign to embark on the training course, there is a huge comfort to be found in the fact that the YTT will build on all the joys you have already discovered.
Yoga is a journey, source of healing, way of life, philosophy, a pathway to inner peace, that invokes spiritualism and love.
I made the decision to do my YTT saliently because I wanted to teach the very thing that helped me become grounded and the version of myself unburdened by active stressors constraining and inhibiting daily performance.
I do not believe that your reason(s) you practice yoga, could ever be considered insignificant and/or not a good reason to enroll in the YTT. The only missing ingredient is whether you are willing to give yourself over to an adventure to explore it further in the vast possibility that is yoga.
The insights and depth into this fascinating world that can be gleaned from teacher training are indelible. At the end of the day, why procrastinate?
