Yoga Teacher Column (8): Healing Everyone Else, Yet Forgetting to Come Home

The biggest escape for some teachers is not in life
· · but in teaching

There are many people who need me every day.
Someone needs to be understood.
Someone needs to be taken on.
Someone needs to be encouraged.
Someone needs to be reminded.

I thought my life was meaningful.
Until one day,
I suddenly became quiet.

At that moment,
I just found out.
It turns out that I haven’t felt myself properly for a long time.

There is a trait that many yoga teachers share.
Sensibility is good.
Very good understanding.
The empathy is very good.

So naturally,
We focus on others.

See students' emotions.
Seeing student trauma.
See the fear in students.
It’s not easy to see students.

Over time,
Even know the students better than the students.

But sometimes,
We begin to lose sight of ourselves.

Some people use taking care of others to avoid taking care of themselves.
Because it is easier to understand others.
It’s harder to feel yourself.

It’s easier to accompany others.
It’s harder to face your own loneliness.

It’s easier to shine a light on others.
It's harder to admit that you're tired.

So some teachers,
Healing continues on the surface.
In fact, I have been escaping.

To escape one's own grievances.
Escape from your own exhaustion.
Escape from your own vulnerability.
Avoid your own needs.

Even started to believe:
As long as students are getting better and better,
You will be happy yourself.

But life is very honest.

When the night is quiet.
When the classroom lights are turned off.
When the students all leave.

The self that is not taken care of,
Will still be sitting there.
Waiting for you to look back.

A true mature healer.
Not the best at healing people.
Instead:
People who are willing to be honest with themselves.

Because of real power.
Never give all the time.
Instead, it keeps flowing.

The ability to be close to others.
There is also the ability to return to yourself.

Ability to accompany others.
Also have the ability to take on yourself.

The ability to see other people’s pain.
Also have the ability not to run away from your own pain.

This is the true return.

So if you are a teacher.
Very tired recently.
Very empty.
Would love to stop.

Don't be in a hurry to study further.
Don’t rush into learning a new system.
Don’t rush to help more people.

Ask yourself first:
How long has it been since I spent time with myself?

Because a lot of the time.
You think you need more power.
In fact, what you need is:
Go home.

Li Guang Conclusion

Some teachers’ greatest spiritual escape.
It’s not about going to the mountains to retreat.
It’s not about chasing high-dimensional information.

Instead, he has been busy healing others.
But never willing to stop,
Feel yourself.

The real return,
Not leaving the world.
But while taking care of the world,
Still didn't leave myself.