When the seva project was mentioned as a part of our teacher training, I became anxious. My tendency is to shy away from being in the spotlight or putting myself out there, and in terms of giving back, I had no idea where to start. I placed it on the back burner of my mind and told myself I could do the yoga hike if I could not make something happen.
About a month later while at work I had a meeting with a coworker in HR to grab coffee and catch up. I noticed she was wearing a beautiful mala that day so I complimented her on it. She did not know what a mala was so I explained how it was used in yoga and around the world. This began a long and deep conversation about yoga, health, happiness, and life. I told her that I had just started my yoga certification and she replied how wonderful that was, not only for me, but for her, as she was looking to bring yoga to the workplace. She asked if I’d be interested in collaborating to teach every other week to those in the workplace that were looking for a way to unwind and relax. I felt my stomach drop and the fear of actually teaching overwhelmed me, but I pushed it aside and said “Yes!” I left that conversation excited but terrified.
The first time I taught at work was literally the first time I had ever taught a yoga class. I had 10 people show up, ready to zen out. My anxiety was high but I made it through that 45 minutes, stumbles and all, and came out feeling like I had just completed an ultra-marathon- completely blissed out and eager to keep practicing and sharing yoga. Fast forward three months, and I have since taught five more times, and have been asked to continue teaching into the fall. It’s been fun to teach yoga purely to share it with no expectations of a return. My anxiety still remains but this experience has pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me feel okay sitting with uncomfortable feelings.
The best part of overcoming my fear and having this opportunity has been getting to share yoga and its magic with those around me. I have met many new people through this experience and have
been able to bring joy and relaxation to an otherwise busy and stressful day. I am thankful for the seva requirement as it pushes us to make time for others, ourselves, and give back to our community. While in training we are learning about ourselves and diving deep into understanding yoga, but this project reminds us that the whole reason we do this is to share it with the community. We are purely facilitators helping those who step on their mat find exactly what they need in that moment. It’s been an incredible journey so far and I look forward to finding other ways to give back to those around me.
-Olivia Quimby
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