This afternooon,as novelist-in-residence for the week at Rancho La Puerta spa in Tecate, Mexico, I taught my writing class. Teaching the class took more out of me than all the hopping and hoisting and yog-ing.
Teaching is the most demanding thing I ever do that I can do. I once tried to learn how to sell mortgages and that was simply beyond me. Almost no one wanted to rely on my wisdom on the subject of mortgages.
My brand of bold is teaching. It's the thing that feels scariest of the things I actually am capable of. Which is my definition of bold.
What activity takes you to the place where possible meets demanding? Or do you have lots of them?
(Other good adventures in the last 24 hours included a concert of Tibetan sacred music which the audience of about 100 listened to lying down.
8 comments:
I would have fallen asleep lying down listening to sacred music.
I think the bold place of your description is where your gut and heart and soul meets the outside world. It is the raw core of your creativity and the gift you choose to share with the world, students, staff, clients,etc. Although the fear you may screw up lurks in the background, it is secondary. What scares you the most about teaching? You or your students?
PS. How is the food?
Hi Peggy, loving your spa teaching blog..went to the website yesterday. What a beautiful place. Question tho. I saw a picture of a trail with a sign that had some quotes on it and now I can't find it on the site...big site...if you can help please let me know. there was a cool quote I wanted to share with my Obama friends. Will continue to follow your posts. Heading to tgiving thurs. with Tam and Sharon. Happy T'givng Lynne Wogan
Oh a little more info on the quote. It looked like there were quotes on a sign entering one of the hiking trails. I know it's a big place, but if you happen to see such an area I'm interested in finding one of those quotes again.
Going to sleep was definitely a possibility, Anon. We were instructed to gently tap on the shoulder any neighbor who snored.
I was hyper-alert, though. And then very tired afterwards.
What scares me the most about teaching? Letting someone down, not helping them get whatever they came for.
And the food is fantastic and totally healthy. Last night we had healthy flan for dessert that tasted as good to me as the richest stuff.
Lynne, I'm going to see if I can find your quote. Do you remember anything about what it said? Happy Thanksgiving holiday to you and Tam and Sharon. And all.
Hi Peggy, the quote was along the lines of how a prophet is never understood by mediocre minds in his own time but that is terribly paraphrased...It looked like it was on a sign somewhere. Thanks for keeping an eye out.
Lynne, I haven't found it on the site. You're right, it's enormous. I may still discover it, but don't count on it.
Peggy, what about Yoga for beginners? I tried it a few years back but nothing clicked. May have been the teacher. Suggestions, Comments....Thnx
Teaching styles and kinds of yoga and the atmosphere of classes do vary hugely. If you have a friend who's enthusiastic about her/his class, you might try that one. Good luck.
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