(An open letter-poem-thing from every type of student to every type of teacher)

So, you wanna teach me?

You want...to teach me?

What do you want me to learn?

You wanna tell me how to Down Dog?

Up-Sell?

Sidestep?

Back stroke?

You wanna show me how to lay down the law?

Stand up for myself?

Dance in some heels?

Lean into discomfort?

You gonna inspire me to speak my truth?

Squat to the beat?

Run my own business?

Walk away from pain?

Okay, Teacher. Teach me.

But first I need to tell you some things...

Teacher, there's gonna be suffering. You're gonna suffer more than most people. You'll spend a lot of your life building huge mountains, just so you can climb over them...'cuz no one wants a teacher that hasn't climbed over a mountain. So, because of this, you will suffer.

Teacher, you're naturally given different opportunities to be amazing. Not better opportunities, just different. When life throws you lemons, you won't just need to make a Lemon Drop with Grey Goose vodka, you'll need to figure out custom ways someone else can do that, too. Everything you do to heal your own self, will need to be taught. Shared. Exposed.

That's why you're here.

Where you teach compassion, you'll have to have judged people harshly. You'll have to know what that's like and how destructive it is. Where you suggest speaking up, you'll have had to shut up in your own life. You'll need to remember how limiting and frightening and sometimes deadly it is not to express yourself.

Teacher, when you preach "listen to your intuition", you'll have had to numb out and "sheep" your way through a period of time. You'll have to remember all the times and all the years you put your business, your relationships, your weight, your life in someone else's hands, because you thought they knew better. You were certain you didn't know what's right for you. You'll need to teach from this place and empower me to make my own damn choices.

Teacher, when all is said and done, you don't need to be vague. You don't need to use weird cliches to get your point across or to sound qualified. You don't need to tell me to "sit in abundance" or "step into my light". Don't say I'm "embodying my essence" or that I should "drop down into my Heart Chakra" or "access my highest self." I mean, go ahead. Say whatever you want, just back it up with specific examples. Be specific. Say the thing. I'll hear you loud and clear without all that flowery nonsense.

Teacher, in a culture of extremes, you're going to have to find the middle of things. Because you have a special relationship with empathy and healing, you'll still need to find the healthy balance of remembering enough of your own story to help others heal from theirs...and moving the f on from your own pain. This will arguably be one of the hardest parts of your life...and your job.

Teacher, you're gonna need to take care of yourself. A lot. Because you, on many levels, speak all 5 Love Languages, you need them spoken back to you, x's 8. If you are a Yoga Teacher, a Counselor, a Massage Therapist, Fitness Instructor, a Nanny, a School Teacher, etc. You're gonna need more Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Quality Time and Acts of Service to balance the energy you're constantly giving away. (You will also need extra hand-sanitizing wipes.) These things will not just be given to you; you will need to ask for them. That's the self-care part. In fact, your job is to practice self-care so hard, that you get paid for it.

Teacher, I just thought you should know these things, so that when you fall apart from time to time, (because you're always susceptible to falling apart and losing your crystals) it won't dissuade or discourage you from being the Teacher, the Healer, the Hungry Student, the Wisdom-Holder, the Truth-Seeker and the Badass you were put here to be. If you can just understand that a little more pain comes with the territory, you won't be scared of showing up for your students, and you'll happily continue balancing childlike curiosity with a quest for wisdom.

Anyway, thanks for listening. You're really good at that.

Love,

One of a Million Ready and Willing Students